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THE 



LIFE OF DAVID, 



KING OF ISRAEL. 



BY THE AUTHOR OF * BIBLE SKETCHES.' 

I. V^ " 

ILLUSTRATED WITH A VARETY OF ORIGINAL CUTS; 

A MAP OF THE TRAVELS OF DAVID ; AND AN 

APPENDIX OF REFERENCES, &C. 



Written for ths American Sunday School Union, and Revised 
by the. Committee of Publication. 



AMERICAN SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION. 
PHILADELPHIA : 

NO. 146 CHESNUT STREET 
1832. 






/S/l 



Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1832, 
Dy Paul Beck, Jr. Treasurer, in trust for the American Sunday 
dchool Union, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court, of the 
Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 



x*^ 



STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON. 



THE 

LIFE OF DAVID. 



CHAPTER 1. 

David's Childhood and Youth, 
Nearly three thousand years ago, there 
lived in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, 
a very good man, whose name was Jesse. 
He had eight sons. His youngest son was 
called David, and he was born in the year 
of the world 2919, that is,, 1085 years be- 
fore the Lord Jesus Christ was born. 

But before 1 begin the history of David, 
I will describe Bethlehem. It was built on 
a hill, six miles south of Jerusalem. On 
the western and southern sides, higher 
hills rose above it. On the northern and 
eastern sides, was a deep green valley. 
The town was surrounded by a wall, so 
A 2 5 



6 * LIFE OF DAVID. 

that the inhabitants could not go out of 
the city, except at the gates, which were 
placed at the end of some of the principal 
streets. These gates were open in the 
day time, and shut at night. The houses 
were built of stone, with flat roofs. A rail- 
ing was placed around the roof of each, so 
that the family who lived in the house, ^ 
could walk and sit there in the evening, 
when the cool west wind blew from the 
sea. Some of the houses had pleasant 
gardens around them, and were shaded by 
tall spreading trees. After a very hot day, 
Jesse and his sons would often walk on the 
roof of the house, enjoying the cool air and 
the pleasant prospect; 

The weather in Palestine is very differ- • 
ent from what it is in New England, but is 
in some respects like the climate of South 
Carolina and Georgia. The spring there 
begins in February. Yes, in February, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 7 

when the people in our northern states are 
looking out upon fields covered with snow, 
and wrapping themselves in fur, David, 
who kept his father's flocks, used to lead 
them out to green pastures, by the side of 
still waters, in the pleasant valleys below 
Bethlehem. Nothing could be more de- 
lightful than the whole season from Feb- 
ruary, till June. The latter rains, which 
were falling till the end of March, caused 
the flowers to appear on the earth, and 
the fig-tree to put forth her green figs. 
Lilies, hyacinths, geraniums and tulips, with 
a multitude of other plants, never seen 
here except in gardens and green houses, 
were thickly scattered over the hills and 
valleys. The accacia and other flowering 
plants hung their delicate wreaths over 
the precipices on the tops of the mountains, 
where the wild goat leaped from rock to 
rock, and the eagle rose screaming from 



8 LIFE OF DAVID. 

her nest. The steep sides of the mountains 
were cut into terraces or steps, covered 
with earth, and planted with vines, grain, 
and fig-trees. Here was a garden, with the 
richest fruits and flowers; there was an 
oHve yard, offering a cool and refreshing 
shade. Under this hower, you might shelter 
yourself from the scorching beams of the 
sun at noon day; on that height, you 
might catch the cool breeze of evening, 
and look out upon the hills and valleys of 
Judah, and the Waters of the Dead sea, 
which lay beyond. 

On the sloping sides of the hills, the 
vineyards were unclosing their silvery 
leaves, and filling the air with the perfume 
of their blossoms. Groves of palm trees 
grew up by the side of peaceful rivulets in 
the valleys, their tall straight trunks form- 
ing a beautiful colonnade, and their spread- 
ing leaves at the top, shutting out entirely 



LIFR or DAVID. 9 

f 

the rays of the sun. Herds of cattle and 
flocks of sheep were grazing in the mea- 
dows ; a multitude of birds sung in the 
groves ; the conies peeped out from their 
holes in the rocks, and the graceful ante- 
lope bounded along the plain. Wherever 
the eye turned, it beheld a freshness and 
beauty, marking out this, as the land that 
Jehovah had blessed ; " a land of brooks of 
water, of fountains, and depths that spring 
out of valleys and hills ; a land of wheat 
and barley and vines and fig-trees and pome- 
granates ; a land of oil olive and honey." 

David often wandered amidst such plea- 
sant scenes as these. The beautiful and 
subHme works of God were all around him. 
And he learned a great deal by studying 
these works. Many people seem to think 
that there is no way of gaining know^ledge 
except by reading books. If it were so, 
David would never have become a great 



10 LIFE OF DAVID. 

man, for he had not nnany books to read. 
But there are other ways of obtaining use- 
ful ideas. One of these ways is by care- 
fully observing the things that God has 
made, and thinking about them. There 
are plants, and animals, and minerals, and 
the vast worlds which roll, in grandeur, all 
around us. David examined them all, and 
learned much of their nature and uses. 
The Holy Spirit had changed his heart, so 
that he loved God, and loved to see the 
wisdom and power that are shown in the 
works of God. 

When David was seated on the grass 
with his sheep feeding around him, he had 
many thoughts which he would put into 
beautiful verses. These verses, in which he 
thanked God for his goodness, and praised 
him for his greatness, David would sing 
during the lonely hours of the day. And 
often at evening, when the moon appeared 



LIFE OF DAVID. 



11 



above the eastern hills, and the stars glim- 
mered in the heavens, the sweet sound of 
his harp was heard by the weary labourers, 
who were slowly returning from their 
fields to Bethlehem. In this way David 
became a celebrated poet and musician. 

But his most interesting employment was 
reading the word of God. We may ima- 
gine him resting upon the grass under a 




tree, with the book of the law spread out 
before him. It contained the five books of 



12 LIFE OF DAVID. 

Moses, the book of Joshua, and perhaps the 
book of Judges. It was written with a pen 
upon a long piece of cloth or parchment 
that was rolled at each end upon a stick, 
as we often roll up maps. We know that 
David frequently studied this book ; for in 
his Psalms he several times relates the 
history that is contained in it. And he 
often tells us how much he was delighted 
in reading and thinking about it. " O how 
I love thy law ; it is my meditation all the 
day. How sweet are thy words to my 
mouth; yea, sweeter than honey to my 
taste." 

Thus David became acquainted with the 
word of God. He tried to keep his com- 
mandments. Morning, noon and evening 
he prayed to God to give him the aid of 
his holy Spirit. God heard his prayers, and 
he became humble, pious and obedient. 

By so carefully studying the Holy Scrip- 



LIFE OF DAVID. 13 

tures in his youth, David gained much 
wisdom. He was afterwards distinguished 
for his great skill in ruling the people of 
Israel. And how did he become so wise ? 
He tells us in the 119th Psalm. ** I have 
more understanding than all my teachers : 
for thy testimonies are my meditation." 

If David learned so much by reading 
the Bible when he was young, the person 
who is now reading this book may become 
wise and prudent by doing the same thing. 
David had but a small part of our Bible, 
as only a little of it was then written. 
Many books were added to the Old Testa- 
ment afterwards. God has since directed 
the whole of the New Testament to be 
wTitten. The Bible is now completed and 
put into your hands, not written on a piece 
of parchment, as David's was, but printed, 
so that it is much easier and pleasanter to 

read it. If you wish to become wise, you 
B 



14 LIFE OF DAVID. 

must read this book often; and when you 
have leisure, you must think about it, and 
ask God to help you to understand it : for 
you will not become better or wiser by 
reading it, unless God gives you his assist- 
ance and blessing : but we will go on with 
our history. 

There are many lions in Palestine, and 
they often make their dens on the banks 
of the river Jordan, in flat marshy places, 
which are thickly covered with reeds and 
shrubs. On this account the lion is called 
by some of the Hebrew poets, the " wild 
beast of the reeds." From these dens 
they go out round the country looking for 
food for themselves and the young lions, 
w^hich they leave behind them : and they 
used to say in that country, that the devil 
was like a roaring lion, going about seek- 
ing what he might devour. The lion, you 
know, is the most terrible of all animals, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 15 

fierce and strong, and the conqueror of all 
the beasts of the forest. One day, when 
David was watching over his sheep, a lion 
that was hungry came up to his field, in 
search of food. Creeping softly along, like 
a cat when she sees a mouse, he suddenly 
gave a terrible leap, and seized upon a 
lamb. I am afraid the lamb had strayed 
too far away from the shepherd and his 
flock, as some boys and girls are apt to do 
from the kind care of their parents, and 
the good advice and direction of a merci- 
ful Saviour. David saw it, and running 
after the lion, struck him with his staff. 
The lion dropped the lamb, and, growling 
with rage, turned towards David. His 
mane rose up upon his head and neck ; his 
eyes flashed like fire, and he gnashed his 
teeth. He was going to spring upon Da- 
vid and tear him in pieces. But God helped 
David to defend himself against the lion 



16 LIFE OF DAVID. 

with his staff. David killed the lion. After 
he had killed the lion, he took up the lamb 
very carefully and carried it back to its 
mother. At another time, David killed a 
bear in the same manner, and saved his 
flock from destruction. David knew very 
well how it was that he came to conquer 
these two monsters, who were so much 
stronger than he was ; and he knew too 
who it was that delivered him out of the 
jaws of the lion, and out of the paws of the 
raging bear ; and when he told about it, he 
did not forget to tell who it was who gave 
him strength and courage. 



LIFE or DAVID. 17 



CHAPTER II. 

Samuel arioints David to be King, 
The Israelites were now settled in the 
land of Canaan. God had promised them 
this land when they came out of Egypt. 
He told them, when they came to this 
country, that they must drive out the people 
who then lived in it, because they were very 
wicked. The Israelites fought against the 
Canaanites and conquered them ; but they 
permitted some of them to live in different 
parts of the land. This country was east 
of the Mediterranean sea, and extended 
from mount Lebanon on the north, to a 
line drawn from the southern part of the 
Dead sea to the Mediterranean on the 
south. The river Jordan ran through the 
middle of the land. Saul was, at this time, 
king over the Israelites. But he was a 
b2 



18 tlPE OF DAVID. 

wicked man. He had been disobedient 

to God, and God had determined that he 

should not be a king much longer. God 

commanded Samuel to go to Bethlehem and 

anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king. It 

was a custom among the Israelites, when 

they had chosen a king or a high priest, to 

pour upon his head an ointment of olive 

oil and fragrant spices. David, a good 

while afterwards, spoke of this custom in 

the hundred and thirty-third Psalm. 

" BchoW, how good and pleasant it is 

For brethren to dwell together in unity ! 

It is like the precious ointment upon the head, 

That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard. 

That went down to the skirts of his garments." 

When any person was anointed, it show- 
ed that he was chosen by God to perform 
very important duties. Samuel was afraid 
to go to Bethlehem, because he knew that 
if Saul heard of it, he would be very angry, 
and perhaps kill him. But God told him 



LIFE or DAVID. 19 

to take an animal and offer it in sacrifice 
at Bethlehem, and call Jesse to the sacri- 
tice. God had commanded that sacrifices 
should be offered in the court of the taber- 
nacle, before the ark. But since the ark 
had been removed from the tabernacle at 
Shiloh, Samuel, who was a good man and 
a prophet, used to go into the different 
cities and offer sacrifices. Samuel went 
to Bethlehem, and invited Jesse and his 
sons to the sacrifice. 

Jesse's oldest son, Eliab, was tall, and had 
a noble countenance. Samuel looked at 
him with much pleasure, and said to him- 
self, "this is the man whom God hath 
chosen." But God instantly told Samuel 
that he was mistaken ; for though Eliab 
was very handsome, he was not fit to be 
king over Israel. Samuel had judged too 
hastily, for Eliab's good looks would not 
help him to rule over the Israelites, or to 



20 LIFE or DAVID. 

command their armies, or to set them a 
good example. A good mind and a good 
heart are much better than a fine figure 
and beautiful face. God told Samuel that 
men are in danger of being deceived, be- 
cause they judge of persons by their out- 
ward appearance ; but that God can not 
be deceived, for he looked directly on the 
heart, and knows the character and feel- 
ings of every one. 

Jesse then made six more of his sons to 
pass before Samuel ; but Samuel told him 
that God had not chosen any of them. He 
then asked Jesse if these were all his chil- 
dren. Jesse replied, that he had another 
son who was younger than his brothers, 
but he was in the field with the sheep. 

Samuel said " send for him, for we will 
not sit down to the feast till he comes." Jesse 
sent for David and he came immediately, 
for he was accustomed to obey his father. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 



21 



When David came in, Samuel saw that he 
was very fresh and beautiful. He was 
dressed in a long loose garment, which was 
tied around his waist with a girdle. He 
was about eighteen years old. God said 




to Samuel, " arise, anoint him, for this is 
he." Then Samuel took the horn and 
poured the oil on David*s head. From that 
time God helped David to prepare himself 
to govern the Israelites. 



22 LIFE OF DAVID. 

After Samuel had returned home to 
Ramah, David w^ent back into the field to 
watch over his flocks. He had learned 
from the prophet that he was to be, at 
some future time, a great king. But this 
did not make him discontented with his 
humble employment. Many young persons 
would have been idle and dissatisfied, and 
impatient to obtain the promised blessing. 
It was not so with David. He went quietly 
to his work, and waited with patience till 
God should perform his promise, and raise 
him to a higher place in the world. Per- 
haps he was wise enough to know that 
great riches and great power do not al- 
ways make people happy, and that he 
might have as much enjoyment among the 
fields and groves of Bethlehem, as when 
made king over all Israel. At any rate 
he wished to do what was his present duty, 
and to prepare himself for any future du- 



LIFE OF DAVID 23 

ties which God might direct him to per- 
form. He did not indulge himself in vain 
thoughts about being a great king ; for he 
found his happiness in loving and serving 
God : as it is beautifully said in one of the 
psalms, " whom have I in heaven but 
thee ; and there is none upon the earth 
that I desire besides thee." 

In a little time king Saul became me- 
lancholy and disturbed in his mind. He 
knew that he had displeased God. Samuel 
had informed him that, to punish his dis- 
obedience, God would not permit his son 
to be king after him. This made him un- 
happy. Besides, his conscience troubled 
him because he had sinned and lost the 
friendship of God. His courtiers saw that 
he was gloomy, and wished to think of 
something that would amuse him. They 
advised him to find some person who could 
play well upon the harp. He directed 



24 LIFE OF DAVID. 

them to seek for such a person. One of 
them told him that he had seen a son of 
Jesse, at Bethlehem, who had great skill 
in music, and was brave and prudent, and 
a friend of God. Then Saul sent messen- 
gers to Jesse and said, " send me David, 
thy son, who is with the sheep." Jesse im- 
mediately sent David to Gibeah, in the 
tribe of Benjamin, where Saul lived, with 
a kid, some bread, and a bottle of wine. 
The bottle that contained the wine, was 
made of the skin of some small animal 
sewed up tight, except at the neck, where 
the wine was to be poured out :* then it 
was tied with a string.— ^It was a custom 
in Israel, as it is in all eastern countries, 
to carry presents to kings and great men. 
No one could visit them without bringing 
a present. 

* See an engraving of an eastern bottle, in Evening 
Recreations, published by the American Sunday School 
Union, Part 2, page 77. 



LirE OF DAVID. 25 

Saul soon became very fond of David, 
for he was a young man of amiable , tem- 
per, very kind and affectionate, with a fine 
noble spirit, generous and brave. Saul ob- 
served all these traits in his character, and 
made him his armour-bearer. It was the 
duty of the armour-bearer to carry the 
armour of the king when he went out to 
battle, and to be always near him, that he 
might deliver the king's orders to the other 
officers of the army. He was a young man 
who feared the Lord, and therefore the 
king might safely make him his most in- 
timate friend, and trust to him his life and 
all his secrets. David remained a good 
while with Saul, and used to play on the 
harp before him when he was melancholy. 
But when Saul did not need him any 
longer he willingly returned to his father ; 
no doubt far happier with his parents and 
brothers than among the great men about 



26 LIF]^ OF DAVID. 

the king, who are generally a wicked set 
of people, who think more of a gay life 
than of serving that God who has blessed 
them so greatly ; a father's house is a plea- 
sant retreat for a virtuous son. 



CHAPTER III. 

David kills Goliath. 

Some time afterwards, the Philistines 
gathered together their armies to fight 
against the Israelites. The Philistines 
lived in the country of Philistia, which was 
west of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, 
and on the borders of the Mediterranean 
sea. They were idolaters, and worship- 
ped an image called Dagon. They had 
often before fought against the people of 
Israel and oppressed them greatly. Their 
army was encamped on a hill on one side 
of the valley of Elah, and the army of 



LIFE OF DAVID. 27 

Israel was on another hill on the opposite 
side of the valley. This valley has some- 
times been called the vale of Terebinths. 
It is therefore probable that many Tere- 
binths grew there. These large fine trees 
are common in Palestine, and are green 
throughout the year. 

There was, in the Philistine army, a 
giant named Goliath. He lived in Gath, 
one of the principal cities of Philistia. He 
came every morning and evening into the 
valley between the two armies, and defied 
the Israelites to send out a man who could 
fight with him. His appearance was terri- 
ble. He-was ten feet high. His helmet 
or cap was of brass. A coat of mail of 
shining brass, weighing one hundred and 
fifty six pounds, covered his body, and he 
wore greaves, which were a kind of boots 
made of brass. The spear which he shook 
in his hand, is compared to a weaver's 



28 LIFE OF DAVID. 

beam ; its sharp steel point weighed nine- 
teen pounds. His shield was carried be- 
fore him, by his armour-bearer. It was 
made of the skin of an ox, adorned with 
brass. In the centre was an ornament of 
brass called a boss. When he had come 
near to the Israelites, he called out, and 
in a haughty manner commanded them to 
choose a man from among them to fight 
with him in front of the army. He pro- 
posed that the quarrel should be decided 
in this way ; and that if he conquered the 
Israelite, all the people of Israel should 
become the servants of the Philistines. It 
was common among ancient nations to 
settle disputes by what was called single 
combat ; that is, by two persons fighting 
with each other. Each of these persons 
was chosen by one of the parties engaged 
in the dispute, and they were called the 
champions of their respective parties. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 29 

When Saul and his soldiers heard the 
words of the giant, they were much alarm- 
ed. They were not obliged to accept of 
his proposal, and it was very foolish to be 
so much afraid of him. But Saul, though 
he had formerly been brave, had lost his 
courage since God had forsaken him. Dur- 
ing forty days Goliath came every morning 
and evening before the army of Saul, and 
threatened and defied them. * 

This field of battle was a few miles 
nortli-west of Bethlehem. Yet all was 
quiet there, and David peacefully watched 
over his sheep and sang the praises of God. 
We cannot suppose that he was uncon- 
cerned about the success of the w^ar. He 
thought much of those idolaters who had 
come to take away the liberty of the peo- 
ple and destroy the worship of God. He 
prayed that their wicked designs might not 

be accomplished. 

o2 



30 LIFE or DAVID. 

Many days passed away and Jesse had 
not heard from his three eldest sons who 
were in the army with Saul. He became 
anxious to know if they were well, and 
told David to go to the camp and carry 
them a present, and inquire after their 
welfare. So David rose early the next 
morning, and took some parched corn and 
ten loaves of bread to carry to his brothers. 
He also took a present for the captain 
under whose command they were, and set 
out to go to the camp of Saul. He soon 
came near the two armies. 

It was a splendid sight. A multitude 
of tents were arranged in regular forms, 
on the tops of the two opposite mountains. 
Farther down on their sides, the two ar- 
mies were drawn up ready for battle. 
The men stood in long lines, some of them 
with spears and some of them with bows 
and arrows ; and as the morning sun shone 



LIFE OF DAVID. 31 

upon their polished armour, the sides of the 
mountains were covered with a blaze of 
light Below them was the valley, with its 
pleasant groves and murmuring brook. As 
the young shepherd approached the army 
of Saul, he heard a deep long shout that 
was echoed from rank to rank, and he 
knew that they would soon begin the fight. 
He therefore ran quickly to find his bro- 
thers and delivered his message to them. 

While David was talking with his bro- 
thers, GoUath came, as usual, in front of 
the Hebrew army, and in an insulting man- 
ner demanded a champion to fight with 
him. As soon as the Israelites heard his 
voice, they were so terrified that they 
broke up the regular line in which they 
had stood, and fled in confusion tow^ards 
their camp on the top of the hill. 

David was astonished to see his country- 
men^ who wtire under the protection of 



32 LIFE OF DAVID. 

God, behave in such a way. He said to 
some men who were near him, who is this 
idolatrous PhiUstine, that he should defy 
the armies of the living God ] What re- 
ward will be given to the man, who shall 
kill him and take away this reproach from 
Israel 1 The men answered him that king 
Saul would allow the man who should kill 
GoUath to marry his daughter, and would 
give him great riches and bestow many 
honours upon his family. 

Eliab was angry with his brother Da- 
vid, for making these inquiries. He had 
seen the prophet anoint David, and had 
good reason to think that, at some future 
time, his brother would become great and 
honourable. Eliab should have rejoiced 
at the kindness shown to his brother. 
But he was so selfish and wicked as to 
be displeased because David was chosen 
to be a king. He wished to be chosen 



LIFE OF DAVID. 33 

hirRself. He envied his brother. This 
was very wrong. Brothers and sisters 
should love each other, and rejoice in 
each other's happiness. Eliab spoke harsh- 
ly to David, and accused him of coming 
there out of pride, and a desire to see the 
battle. This was unkind, when David had 
come to see him, and bring him a present 
from his father. But David answered him 
mildly, and then turned to some other per- 
sons who were present, and asked them 
about Goliath. The people began to think, 
from his inquiries, that he was willing to 
fight with Goliath, and they went and told 
Saul, and Saul sent for him. 

When David came to the king's tent, 
Saul did not recollect him, though he had 
lived so long with him at Gibeah. David 
told the king that none of the people need 
be afraid of Goliath, for he would fight 
with him. But Saul replied that David 



34 LIFE OF DAVID. 

was too young to fight with the giant %ho 
had been accustomed to war from his 
youth. David then said to Saul, "thy 
servant kept his father's sheep, and there 
came a Hon, and a bear, and took a lamb 
out of the flock : And I went out after 
him, and smote him, and delivered it out 
of his mouth : and when he arose against 
me, I caught him by his beard, and smote 
him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both 
the lion and the bear : and this Philistine 
shall be as one of them, seeing he hath 
defied the armies of the living God. David 
said moreover, the Lord that delivered me 
out of the paw of the lion, and out of the 
paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of 
the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said 
unto David, go, and the Lord be with thee." 
Saul seeing the boldness of David and 
that his trust was in God, " armed David 
with his armour, and he put a helmet of 



LIFE OF DAVID. 35 

brass upon his head ; and also he armed 
him with a coat of mail." And David 
girded the sword of Saul on his armour, 
but he found the whole armour very heavy 
and inconvenient, because he was not so 
large a man as Saul, who was very tall in- 
deed, being about a head higher than al- 
most any one else. He took it all off, and 
with his staff and sling in his hand, went 
down into the valley : a sling is an instru- 
ment for throwing stones, used in ancient 
times either in war or in hunting. It is 
made of a small piece of leather which holds 
the stone, and a string is fastened to each 
end of the leather, and the stone is thrown 
by whirling it round in the sHng and sud- 
denly letting go one of the strings. It goes 
with great force, and after a little practice 
can be thrown very straight. When he 
came to the brook, he chose five smooth 
stones out of it, and put them in the 



36 



LIFE OF DAVID. 



bag that hung from his girdle, and went 
to meet the Philistine. When Goliath 
s^w a young man, with a fair skin and 
ruddy complexion, — not like the sun burnt 
skin of the hardy soldier, — a lad in the 
dress of a shepherd, with a staff in his 
hand coming up to him, he looked scorn- 




fully at him, as if to find some one to 
fight with ; and then turning his eyes upon, 
David, he said to him, am I a dog, that thou 



LIFE OF DAVID. ^7 

comest out to me with staves? And then he 
began to curse David, as wicked men often 
do w^hen they are angry. " Come to me," 
said he, " and I will give thy flesh unto the 
fowls of the air and the beasts of the 
field." And David replied, " Thou comest 
to me with a sword, and with a spear, and 
with a shield ; but I come to thee in the 
name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the 
armies of Israel, w^hom thou hast defied. 
This day will the Lord deliver thee into 
my hand, and I will smite thee and take 
thine head from thee ; and I will give the 
bodies of the host of the Philistines this day 
unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild 
beasts of the earth ; that all the earth may 
know that there is a God in Israel. And 
all this assembly shall know that the Lord 
saveth not with sword and spear : for the 
battle is the Lord's, and he will give you 
into our hands." As David and Goliath 
D 



38 LIFE OF DAVID. 

came near each other, every eye was upon 
them, and every heart beat with fear and 
hope. David put a stone into his sling, and 
with steady aim, and with all his might, he 
hurled it at the proud man w^ho had defied 
Israel's God. 

The stone flew with such force that it 
entered the forehead of the giant, and he 
instantly fell dead upon the ground. Loud 
shouts arose from every part of Israel's 
camp, and David running up, drew the 
giant's sword out of its sheath, and with it 
cut off the head of his lifeless body. When 
the Philistines saw that their champion 
was dead, they fled towards their own 
country. And the Hebrew army shouted 
and pursued their enemies into Phi- 
listia to the cities of Gath and Ekron, al- 
most to the shores of the Mediterranean 
sea. David took the armour of Goliath 
and kept it for himself; not to wear, but as 



LIFE OF DAVID. 39 

the evidence of his victory. It was a cus- 
tom, in the wars among ancient nations, for 
the person who killed another, to take off 
his armour and keep it as a memorial of 
what he had done. 

When David was gone out to battle, Saul 
asked Abner, his general, who the young 
man was, — for he had forgotten him. — 
Abner could not answer this question ; but 
after the battle, he brought David with 
him to the tent of the king. King Saul 
said to him, *• whose son are you, young 
man ?" and David said, I am the son of 
thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite. 

It seems a little strange that Saul did 
not recollect David. But it was, perhaps, 
several years since he had seen him. 
There were many servants and officers 
about the king in his palace at Gibeah, 
and many of the people were constantly 
coming to see him about the business of 



40 LIFE OF DAVID. 

the country. Kings cannot be expected 
to recollect faces as well as those who have 
but few acquaintances. Besides, Saul's 
mind had been troubled and perhaps in some 
degree deranged, as he was subject to fits 
of melancholy, and even of madness. 

A sinful life is very apt to spoil the mind, 
even of sensible men, especially if they 
have much trouble. — ^David had grown 
older too, and was altered in his appear- 
ance. 

Jonathan, the son of Saul, was in his 
father's tent when David came in. He had 
seen the courage and confidence in God 
which David had shown, in going out to 
fight with the enemy who was feared by 
them all, and he saw the modesty of his 
behaviour after he had killed Goliath. 
Jonathan admired David's bravery, his 
skill, his modesty and his faith in God, and 
he loved him as his own soul: for the cha- 



LIFE OF DAVID. 41 

ractcr of David was not only excellent, but 
very much like his own. Jonathan was 
brave and generous and pious, and so was 
David; and seldom has the world seen a 
prince of such great excellence as the 
son of Saul. As soon as they were alone, 
Jonathan and David agreed that they 
would always be sincere friends to each 
other, for each of them saw something in 
the other which he admired and loved. 
And Jonathan took off the rich robe that he 
wore and gave it to David, and he gave 
him his beautiful girdle, and his sword, and 
his bow. 

This may appear strange to my young 
readers, because it is not customary to do 
so in this country. But in Palestine, and 
other places in the east, it was common 
to give away garments. Sometimes when 
a king made a feast he gave garments 

to all the guests. It was thought a favour 
d2 



42 LIFE OF DAVID. 

for a king or great man to give to an 
inferior, any garment which he had worn. 
Jonathan was a prince who had much 
power and influence. — David felt greatly- 
honoured by his kindness, and immediately 
put on the garments that Jonathan had 
given him and wore them. Saul told 
David that he must not return any more 
to Bethlehem, but must go home with 
him to Gibeah. He made him one of 
his captains, and for a little while treated 
him kindly. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Saul is jealous of David, and tries to kill him. 

Preparations were now making for the 
victorious army to return homeward. As 
they passed through the cities, the people 
came out to meet and congratulate them. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 43 

When the people of any city of Israel 
wished to do honour to a king who was 
about to pass through their city, the men 
used to go out of the gates to meet him. 
They were accompanied by a procession 
of young women who were dressed in 
white, their long hair braided and adorned 
with gold and pearls. They wore veils, 
and carried instruments of music in their 
hands. While they played upon these 
they kept time with their feet to the mu- 
sic, and sung a song that was composed on 
purpose for the occasion. Flowers and 
branches of trees, with rich carpets and 
garments, were spread on each side of the 
road. The companies of young women 
that conducted Saul and his army into the 
cities through which they passed, sung a 
song in praise of Saul and David. The 
chorus of the song, or that part repeated 
at the end of every verse was, " Saul has 



44 LIFE OF DAVID. 

slain his thousands, and David his ten 
thousands." 

This was praising David much more 
than Saul, which was right, when David 
had killed Goliath whom Saul had feared 
so much. But Saul was very jealous, and 
could not bear to hear any body praised 
but himself. It is natural for every person 
to be selfish and wish to have the most 
and best of every good thing ; and only 
those who pray to God and try to feel right, 
can subdue this feeling. 

But perhaps selfishness was stronger in 
Saul than in most others, because he was 
a king, and accustomed to be flattered. 
A king has many wicked people about him 
wlio wish to be made rich or honourable. 
In order to persuade the king to give them 
money, or place them in high stations, they 
are willing to praise him more than he de- 
serves to be praised. This is called flattery, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 45 

and I suppose that Saul had many people 
around him who flattered him every day, 
till he could not enjoy any thing else. 
They did not do this because •they loved 
him. No, if they had w^ished to do him good 
they would have acted very dilSerently. 
But they tried to please the king that they 
might obtain some benefits from him. 

There are some people in the world who 
are so foolish as to flatter children. I hope 
none of the children who read this book, 
are so foolish as to like to be flattered. 
You see what eflfect it had upon Saul. It 
made him so selfish, that he could not bear 
to see any body loved or admired but him- 
self. I have seen some children, yes, and 
some grown people too, who would look 
quite disturbed if another person was 
praised. This shows that they did not 
love their neighbour as well as they loved 
themselves. 



46 LIFE or DWID. 

Instead of driving away these wicked 
thoughts from his mind, Saul indulged them 
from day to day, till he hegan to hate 
David and to wish he was dead. Then 
he soon determined to try to kill him, and 
watched for an opportunity. 

One day, when Saul was more gloomy 
than usual, David tried to amuse him by 
playing on his harp. When Saul thought 
that David was occupied with his music, 
and did not see him, he threw a javelin at 
him, which was a sharp instrument a little 
like a spear. But David was cautious and 
moved away, and the javelin went into the 
wall. 

Saul perceived that God took care of 
David. He began to dislike David so much 
that he could not bear to see him ; so he 
sent him away to the army of the Israel- 
ites, near the country of Philistia. This 
army was stationed there to watch the 



LIFE OF DAVID. 47 

Philistines, that they might not come sud- 
denly into the land of Israel, and rob and 
kill the people, as they were accustomed 
to do when they could find an opportunity. 

Saul made David a captain in this army, 
and he behaved himself prudently. He 
was very modest and careful to do right, 
and the people liked him. When a person 
is much beloved, as David was, he is said 
to be popular. It sometimes makes people 
proud and vain to be popular, but it did 
not make David so. 

Saul wished much that David would do 
something wrong that he might have an 
excuse for injuring him. But David was so 
humble and prudent that Saul could not 
find any fault with him. He hated David 
the more when he found the people loved 
him, and when the Philistines were fighting 
with his army, he sent a person to tell 
David, that if he would be very brave, he 



48 LIFE OF DAVID. 

might marry the eldest daughter of Saul, 
whose name was Merab. 

Saul hoped that David, being a brave 
man, would go into the midst of the Philis- 
tines, and that he would probably be killed 
by them. David fought bravely, and God 
preserved his life : but Saul deceived him, 
and Merab was married to another person. 

Then Saul told David that he might 
marry his youngest daughter Michal, if he 
would first kill a hundred of the Philistines. 
David said that he was a poor man, and 
ought not to think of being the king's son- 
in-law. But he went with his men to fight 
the Philistines, and they killed two hun- 
dred of them. Saul was then obliged to 
perform his promise. David returned to 
Gibeah, and was married to the king's 
daughter. 

Saul now grew more and more wicked 
every day. He had probably, by this time, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 49 

heard that Samuel had anointed David to 
be king. Saul knew that Samuel would 
not have anointed him unless God had 
commanded him to do so. It was therefore 
plain that God had determined to make 
David king over Israel. Saul attempted 
to prevent this by killing David. It was 
dreadful to wish to oppose so good a God. 

Saul knew that he could not succeed in 
doing it, and if he had not been foolish he 
would not have made the attempt. But 
he had indulged evil passions so long, that 
he could not think and reason as well as 
he could formerly. This is the way with 
people who are envious and malicious. 
They indulge evil thoughts and desires, till 
they cannot judge what is right and what 
is wrong, and what it is wise or unwise 
to do. 

David had become a member of the 

king's family and was very popular with 
E 



50 LIFE OF DAVID. 

the people. Jonathan was his intimate 
friend. This made it more hkely that he 
would at some future time be king ; and 
Saul told Jonathan and all his servants 
that they must kill David. 

Jonathan was much grieved at hearing 
this command from his father. He told Da- 
vid of the orders his father had given, and 
advised him to conceal himself among the 
bushes, or in a cave in a field where Saul 
was accustomed to walk. David accord- 
ingly hid himself, and the next morning 
Jonathan walked into the field with his fa- 
ther. While he was walking he talked 
with his father about David, and begged he 
would not hurt him. He said that David 
did not deserve to le killed, for he had 
been faithful to Saul, and had done him . 
many services : he had conquered Goliath, 
and saved the people of Israel ; — an act 
which Saul once admired and rejoiced at. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 51 

Saul was convinced that he had done 
wrong to persecute David, and promised 
Jonathan, with an oath, that he should 
not be slain. When the king was gone, 
Jonathan called David out of his hiding 
place, and told him w hat his father had 
promised. The two friends then returned 
to the palace, and the king received them 
kindly. 



CHAPTER V. 

David jlees to Samuel. 

But David was not permitted to live 
quietly much longer. 

Soon after this there was another war 
with the Philistines. David went out with 
the army, and fought bravely against them, 
and they were afraid of him, and fled into 
their own country. When Saul saw David's 



52 LIFE OF DAVID. 

success, he began to be jealous of him 
again, and when David was playing on his 
harp, attempted to slay him with his jave- 
lin. But David escaped and went to his 
own house. 

And Saul sent men to watch around 
David's house, and to kill him when he 
came out in the morning. But Michal knew 
that there were spies near the house, and 
she told her husband and assisted him to 
escape. 

I suppose the messengers were watching 
by the outer door or gate. But Michal 
let down David by a cord, from a window 
on the other side of the house. "And 
Michal took an image, and laid it in the 
bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his 
bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And 
when Saul sent messengers to take David, 
she said, he is sick. And Saul sent the 
messengers again to see David, saying, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 63 

bring him up to me in the bed, that 1 may- 
slay him. And when the messengers were 
come in, there was an image in the bed, 
with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster." 
Michal made her excuse, that David had 
threatened her life if she did not help him 
to get off, but this was false and very 
wrong. A lie is always wicked. God will 
take care of those who do their duty, and 
David himself once said of the Lord 
" though he slay me yet will I trust him." 
It was night, and the inhabitants of 
Gibeah had retired to rest, when David 
walked swiftly through the streets, and 
took the road that led westward from the 
city. Think what must have been his 
feelings, when he looked back and remem- 
bered that he was driven away from his 
wife, and his dear friend Jonathan, and 
all whom he loved. He was alone, and 

e2 



54 LIFE OF DAVID. 

knew not whither to go. He feared he 
could not escape the cruelty of Saul who 
was king over all Israel, and could send 
his orders into every part of the land. At 
last he determined to go to Samuel, who 
might be able to protect him from Saul. 
He hoped the king would respect the aged 
prophet who had been accustomed to speak 
to him, and to deliver to him the commands 
of God. 

He went towards Ramah, where Sa- 
muel lived. It was in the tribe of Benja- 
min, north- w.est from Gibeah. 

If you wish to know what David's 
thoughts were that night, when he was 
travelling over the solitary road from 
Gibeah to Ramah, you will find them in 
the fifty-ninth Psalm ; for that was com- 
posed at this time. When he was leaving 
the city he began his prayer to God : — 



LIFE or DAVID. 55 

" Deliver me from mine enemies, O my 
God: defend me from them that rise up 
against me. Deliver me from the workers 
of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. 
For lo, they lie in wait for my soul : the 
mighty are gathered against me : not 
for my transgression, nor for my sin, O 
Lord. They run and prepare themselves 
without my fault : awake to help me, and 
behold." 

Then he perhaps, heard the barking of 
wild dogs who were coming about the city. 

In Palestine there are many wild dogs, 
that are fierce and dangerous, like wolves. 
They live among the mountains and in the 
wilderness, but in the night they sometimes 
come howling into the cities in search of 
food. They often attack animals, and 
sometimes men. 

When David heard them barking, he 
thought they were cruel, like Saul ; and 



56 LIFE OF DAVID. 

he says, " They return at evening : 
they make a noise like a dog, and go 
round about the city/' Then he remem- 
bered that God was just, and would pro- 
tect him, and punish his enemies — " But 
thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them ; thou 
shalt have all the heathen in derision. Be- 
cause of his strength will I wait upon thee : 
for God is my defence." — After he had 
thought about God a little while, he began 
to be comforted, and as the morning dawn- 
ed, and he saw the green hills about Ra- 
mah, and knew that he was safe, for the 
present, from his pursuers, he broke out 
into a song of praise to God — " But I will 
sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud 
of thy mercy in the morning : for thou hast 
been my defence and refuge in the day of 
my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, 
will I sing : for God is my defence, and the 
God of my mercy." 



LIFE OF DAVID. 57 

When David met Samuel, he told him 
how^ he had been treated by Saul. Samuel 
took David home with him, to Naioth. 
This was a part of Ramah, w^here there 
was a school of the prophets, which Sa- 
muel taught. 

The prophets were good men, who spent 
their time in praying to God, and praising 
him, and teaching the people. God often 
spoke to them, and gave them messages to 
kings and other persons, in the land of Is- 
rael. By these messages, God directed the 
persons to whom they were sent, what they 
must do ; and sometimes he told them of 
things that were going to happen. 

Samuel was the greatest prophet then 
living. He was an old man, and had been a 
prophet ever since he was a little child. 
There were many young prophets in Israel; 
and Samuel began to have schools, where 
they could come together, and study, and 



58 LIFE OF DAVID. 

prepare themselves to teach the people. 
These schools were continued many years 
after Samuel's death. David remained 
with Samuel at Naioth, till Saul heard he 
was there, and sent messengers to take 
him. When they arrived, they saw the 
young prophets standing together, and Sa- 
muel standing at their head. They were 
prophesying. This sometimes means re- 
peating what God has said ; but here, it 
probably means, singing or speaking the 
praises of God. 

As soon as the messengers saw the 
company of the prophets, the Spirit of 
God came upon them, and they began 
to prophesy. They could not take Da- 
vid and bind him, as Saul had ordered. 
When this was told Saul, more messengers 
were then sent by him, to take David ; but 
God restrained them also, and they joined 
in prophesying 



LirE OF DAVID. 59 

Then Saul set out to go himself to 
Ramah; but while he was on the way, 
God put such thoughts into his mind, 
that he began to prophesy. When he 
came to Naioth, he continued singing the 
praises of God before Samuel. He could 
not hurt David, though he had come on 
purpose to kill him. This act of Saul 
was so very singular, and it was so strange 
that he should be among the chosen sons 
of God, that it became a proverb among 
the Israelites — " Is Saul also among the 
prophets*" 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Friendship of David and. Jonathan. 

While Saul was prophesying before 
Samuel, David left Naioth, and went hast- 
ily towards Gibeah, to see Jonathan. As 



60 LIFE OF DAVID. 

soon as he had found him, he said to him, 
" What wicked thing have I done 1 How 
have I injured the king, your father, that 
he should seek to kill me ?" And Jona- 
than said, " I do not think my father in- 
tends to kill you at this time, for he has 
not informed me of it, and he always tells 
me of what he means to do." 

But David replied, "Your father cer- 
tainly knows that I enjoy your favour and 
affection, and says to himself. Let not Jona- 
than know my design, lest he be grieved ; 
but in truth, there is but a step between 
me and death." Then Jonathan was sad 
when he heard of his father's wickedness, 
and told David that he would help him in 
any way that he could. 

David then reminded Jonathan that the 
next day was the new moon, or first day 
of the month. The first day of every month 
was kept by the Israelites, as a day for re- 



LIFE OF DAVID. 61 

ligious worship. It was not quite like the 
Sabbath, but a Uttie hke it. On the morn- 
ing of that day, the levites blew the silver 
trumpets, and the people thanked God 
that he had permitted them to live through 
another month. The king used to offer 
sacrifice at the new moon, and after the 
sacrifice, he made a feast for his family 
and some of his chief officers, who were 
expected to be present. 

David was one of the king's family, 
because he was his son-in-law, and he 
knew that Saul would expect him to 
be at the feast the next day. He was 
afraid that Saul would kill him, and de- 
termined not to go. He thought that 
Saul would inquire why he did not come 
to the fe£ist, and he wished Jonathan to 
say, that he had given him leave to go 
and see his friends at Bethlehem. If 

Saul spoke pleasantly, and said. It is very 
F 



62 LIFE OF DAVID. 

well; it would show that he began to feel 
kindly towards David, and had determined 
not to hurt him. But if he was angry, it 
would show that he was disappointed, in 
not having an opportunity to kill him. 

David was much distressed. He was 
afraid of the king. He knew that if Jona- 
than should be unfaithful, and tell Saul 
where he was, he had not long to live. He 
begged Jonathan to kill him himself, if he 
thought he had done any thing wrong, ra- 
ther than betray him to his father. And 
Jonathan promised David that he would 
try to discover whether the king meant to 
injure him ; and if he did, he would inform 
David, and assist him to escape. 

Jonathan was afraid that they should be 
seen by some of the people of Gibeah, 
whom Saul had commanded to kill David ; 
so he asked David to walk with him into 
a field. They walked out, where they 



LIFE OF DAVID. 63 

could talk together without being heard, or 
seen. 

These two friends had often before walked 
together, in the pleasant fields near Gibeah, 
when they were tired of the noise and con- 
fusion of the city. They could sit under a 
spreading fig-tree, or a hedge of myrtles 
and roses, and admire the green meadows, 
where the cattle and sheep were feeding, 
and the groves where the birds were sing- 
ing, and where the trees were covered 
'with blossoms. They could see, at a little 
distance, high mountains, with rocks upon 
their tops ; and vines, loaded with grapes, 
upon their sides. 

They used to talk of God, w ho made this 
pleasant world, and who gives so many 
good things to his creatures. Then they 
would speak of another beautiful land, 
where they hoped to go when they should 
die: where the flowers would never wither. 



64 LIFE OF DAVID. 

and the fruits would never decay. In that 
country, there would be no sun and moon, 
for God would be there, and the light that 
is around Him would be much brighter than 
that of the sun. There would be no vrick- 
ed people there, to trouble them. They 
would not shed any more tears, nor be 
sorry any more ; because they would be 
perfectly happy in loving and obeying 
God. 

Jonathan and David remembered these 
pleasant conversations, as they went into 
the field. They looked sad, for they feared 
they should not be permitted to walk and 
talk together any more. 

When they came to a quiet spot, Jo- 
nathan told his mind very plainly to 
David; he promised to protect and be- 
friend him; and, on the other hand, call- 
ed upon David to promise protection to 
himself and his family, clearly expecting 



LIFE OF DAVID. 65 

David to become king, at a future day. 
They then entered into a solemn covenant ; 
that is, they agreed that they w^ould al- 
ways be kind to each other. Jonathan 
promised, that if he found his father was 
angry with David, he would tell him ; so 
that David might hide himself from Saul. 
And David promised, that when he became 
king, he would be kind to Jonathan and to 
his children. Then they asked God to hear 
their promises to each other, and to punish 
them if they did not keep them. When 
two persons make an agreement together, 
and ask God to help them to perform that 
agreement, it is called a covenant. It must 
not be done about common things, but only 
about things that are very important. 

Jonathan now told David, that after 

three days, he must come and hide himself 

by a rock in the field. And he promised 

that he would come with his bow and ar- 

F 2 



^Q LIFE OF DAVID. 

rows, and stand by that rock, and shoot 
three arrows, and send a boy to pick them 
up. If David should hear Jonathan call to 
the boy thus, " the arrows are on this side of 
you,^' he might know that the king would 
treat him kindly, and that he might return 
to Gibeah ; but if Jonathan should say, 
" the arrows are beyond you," then David 
should understand that he was in danger, 
and must escape from Saul as soon as pos- 
sible. Jonathan proposed this plan, because 
he thought there might be people near, 
which would prevent his speaking to Da- 
vid. The two friends now separated. 

The next day was the new moon. Saul 
had several animals killed. Part of them 
he offered in sacrifice, and the remainder 
he ordered his servants to cook for the 
feast. When he sat down to dinner, Ab- 
ner, the cousin of Saul, and commander- 
in-chief of his armies, was present, and so 



LIFE OF DAVID. 67 

was Jonathan the prince, and probably 
many others ; but David was absent Saul 
did not inquire about him, because he 
thought that he might not be prepared to 
come that day to the feast. But the next day 
he made another feast; and when he saw 
that David was absent, he asked why lie 
did not come to the table. And Jonathan 
said, " David earnestly asked leave of me 
to go to Bethlehem, that he might be pre- 
sent at a sacrifice, that his friends were going 
to offer, at the festival of the new moon.'* 
Saul now broke out into a violent passion 
against Jonathan, for giving David permis- 
sion to go, and for being his friend. He 
was afraid David would escape from Tiim, 
and he talked quite angrily and impro- 
perly to his son. His eyes looked fiery, and 
he spoke very loud. 

He told Jonathan that he would never be 
king, while David lived. This, Jonathan 



68 LIFE OF DAVID. 

knew very vs^ell. He knew that he must be 
deprived of the kingdom, on account of his 
father's sins. Jonathan was sorry that he 
might not be king over Israel. He had exr 
pected to be so, ever since he was a Uttle 
child. The Israelites loved him, and he 
loved them, and knew^ how to rule them 
well. But he saw that God had chosen Da- 
vid, and he was willing to submit. 

When Saul commanded him to bring 
David, that he might be slain, Jonathan said, 
" Why must he be killed ? What has he 
done to deserve death ]" Then Saul was 
so angry, that he threw a javelin at Jona- 
than. But he was in such a passion that 
he did not aim it right, and the prince was 
not hurt. 

Look at Saul, and see how dreadful it is 
to be passionate. How fierce and cruel 
he is ; more like a furious wild beast, than 
a man and a king. He must appear very 



LIFE OF DAVID. 69 

hateful to the great men and courtiers, 
who sit at his table. They all dislike him 
greatly, but they dare not show it, for fear 
that he will punish them. If you are pas- 
sionate, none of your companions will love 
you ; and, what is worse, God \vill not love 
you. He only loves such people as are 
meek, and gentle, and forgiving. 

Jonathan was ashamed of his father, and 
much displeased at his conduct. He could 
eat no more, but rose from the table and 
went away. When he was by himself, I 
think he must have prayed to God, that 
his father might repent of his great sin, 
and that David's life might be saved. 

After a restless night, he rose early in the 
morning, and taking his bow, he bound 
around his shoulders the quiver that con- 
tained his arrows. He called a little lad 
who was accustomed to wait upon him, 
and walked towards the field where Da- 



70 LIFE OF DAVID. 

vid was. The bright sun was just rising 
above the hills, and the dews were spark- 
ling on the grass. The air was pure and 
fragrant, because it blew over hedges and 
groves that were loaded with blossoms. 
Light wreaths of mist were rolling up the 
sides of the mountains, and when the sun 
shone upon them, they looked like silver 
clouds, resting upon the green olive trees. 
The waters of the stream were smooth and 
still, and the water fowls were sailing 
around among the tufts of lilies, that lay 
upon its surface. The deer would look for 
a moment upon Jonathan and his little at- 
tendant, and then start away, and spring 
back again into the wood. The boy trudged 
along, as happy as the birds, and as the 
bees that he heard humming in the flow- 
ers: but the prince was not happy. 
He did not notice the pleasant sights 
and sounds, because there were painful 



LIFE OF DAVID. 71 

thoughts in his mind. He wore a long 
robe, of a rich colour, with broad fringes 
upon it. It was fastened around his waist 
with a girdle. He had sandals on his {eet 
These were pieces of leather, fitted to the 
bottom of the feet, and laced around the 
feet and ancles with strings. On his head 
he wore a sort of turban or mitre, made 
of cloth. His eye brows were drawn over 
his eyes, and he was looking on the ground. 
He thought of his father's guilt ; of the dan- 
ger of his friend, and his own gloomy pros- 
pects. 

When he came to the rock where Da- 
vid was hidden, he shot some arrows into 
the field, and sent the boy to bring them 
back. While the boy was running to pick 
them up, Jonathan shot another arrow, and 
called out to the boy that the arrow was 
beyond him. David, who lay hid in an 
opening of the rock, heard and understood 



72 LIFE OF DAVID. 

it all ; but the boy supposed that the prince 
was amusing himself with his bow and ar- 
rows. When the boy came with the ar- 
rows, Jonathan gave him his quiver and 
bow, and sent him back into the city. Da- 
vid waited till the boy had gone, and then 
arose out of his hiding place, and fell on 
his face to the ground three times, in token 
of respect. This was the way the peo- 
ple in that country showed their re- 
spect for superiors. They then kissed one 
another, and wept with one another until 
David exceeded. They feared that they 
should never meet again in this world, and 
it was a very solemn parting. When they 
had expressed to each other their grief and 
affection, Jonathan said to David, " Go in 
peace; and remember the promises we 
have made to each other. May the Lord 
bless us and our children, and be our God 
for ever." Jonathan then walked slowly 



LIFE OF DAVID. 73 

back to Gibeah ; and David, after casting 
one mournful look upon the towers of the 
city, hastened aw^ay. 



CHAPTER VII. 

David goes to AU. 

David is vsralking very fast towards the 
west. He is going to Nob, a city beyond 
Ramah. Presently we shall meet him 
there ; but now, we will leave him for a 
little while, and return to Jonathan. He 
has gone back to Gibeah, expecting to re- 
ceive very harsh treatment from his father, 
for assisting David. Jonathan was the per- 
son who would be most injured, if David 
should live to be king over Israel. Yet he 
was the only person with whom David 
would trust himself, when the king had 
given orders that he should be killed, Jo- 
G 



74 LIFE OF DAVID. 

nathan protected David, and concealed 
him from his father. This shows that Da- 
vid had judged wisely, in choosing him for 
his friend. 

It is a very difficult thing to choose a 
friend, especially for young persons, who 
are easily deceived. Your companion may 
he sensible, and witty, and agreeable, and 
very kind to you, when you are rich and 
happy ; but he is not a good friend, unless 
he will assist you when you are in distress, 
and give up his own wishes for your sake, 
as Jonathan did for the sake of David. 
Now, it takes a great while, and requires 
a great deal of judgment, to find out whe- 
ther a person will do this. I would not 
then advise children to attempt to choose 
friends for themselves. They should never 
be intimate with any one, without asking 
the advice of their parents. But you will not 
always have your parents to think for you. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 75 

In a few years, you must judge and act for 
yourselves. Then, I hope, you will choose 
your friends wisely, as David did. 

Let us try to think of some of those 
things that are necessary in a friend. It 
seems very necessary that a friend should 
be generous, and not selfish. A selfish per- 
son does not care for others, if he can have 
what he wants himself. And when there 
is but one good thing, and many others 
want it as much as he does, he does not 
think of that ; he tries to get it for himself, 
and is not sorry for those who do not get 
it. He will not give it up, even to his best 
friend. If you are trying with him for a 
prize at school, and he should obtain it, he 
will be pleased, and laugh at you because 
you have not got it. And, if you should 
obtain it, he will be displeased, and look 
at you with jealous eyes. You do not want 
such a friend as this. Jonathan was not 



76 LIFE OF DAVID. 

such a friend. To be a king of Israel was 
a great thing ; much greater than you will 
ever think of obtaining. Jonathan had 
been always told that he would be king, 
and he had studied and prepared himself 
for it. The people loved him so much, that 
they treated him with nearly as much re- 
spect, as if he were already king. Yet he 
W£LS so generous, that he was willing to 
give it all up to David, when he knew that 
God had chosen him ; and he was not jeal- 
ous of David. He did not think, every time 
he saw him, " I do not like you, because 
you are going to get away my kingdom," 
He loved him, and helped him as much as 
he could. 

Another thing that is necessary to make 
a good friend, is sincerity. Some people 
will be very kind and polite when you are 
present, but w hen you are absent they will 
speak against you, and try to injure you. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 77 

They will flatter you, and make fair pro- 
mises, when you do not need their assist- 
ance ; but will desert you, if you are in 
trouble. They are deceitful. You may 
as well play with a serpent, or try to walk 
on the sea when it is smooth, and the sun 
shines upon it and it looks firm, as to trust 
a deceitful person. I had rather have no 
companion, than to walk about and talk 
with any one who is not sincere. 

Jonathan was sincere. He spoke well 
of David, and tried to do him good, when 
David was absent, and would not know it. 
He spoke the truth, when he told David 
that he would conceal him from the king 
till he could get away beyond his reach. 
He kept his promises, and thus David's life 
was saved. 

There are several more things that are 
necessary in a friend ; but I will mention 
only one. It is piety. This is more im- 
G 2 



78 LIFE OF DAVID. 

portant than any thing else, because all 
other good feelings spring from it. You 
cannot be sure that a person will be al- 
ways disinterested and sincere, unless you 
know that he loves God, and prays to him, 
and is trying to do right. Besides, if you 
love your friend, you will soon learn to 
think, and feel, and act as he does. You 
will copy his example; and if he is not 
pious, he will not set you a ^ood example. 
I hope when you are old enough to choose 
friends, you will find such as are good. But 
you must deserve good friends, or you can- 
not expect to have them. Those persons 
who are pious, and disinterested, and sin- 
cere, will not love you, and consent to be 
your companions, unless you are like them- 
selves. 

While David was on the way to Nob, 
some young men joined themselves to him, 
being determined to accompany him where- 



LIFE or DAVID. 79 

ever he went. Perhaps they had been his 
servants, when he Uved in Gibeah. 

The tabernacle of God was at Nob. It 
had been removed there from Shiloh, after 
the ark was carried away by the PhiUstines, 
many years before. The priests of God Uved 
in the city, and also the Gibeonites, who 
were slaves, and did the \vork of the taber- 
nacle. Many sacrifices were offered up, and 
many ceremonies were observed, so there 
was a great deal of w^ork to be done. David 
wished to go there before he left the 
country, that he might pray to God at his 
tabernacle, and receive a blessing from the 
high priest. 

David came in sight of the city of Nob, 
tired and hungry, and not able to walk as 
fast as he did, when he began his journey. 
He sometimes looks back, to see if any one 
is pursuing him ; and sometimes repeats to 
himself some of his beautiful psalms. 



80 



LIFE OF DAVID* 



We may imagine the anxious David en- 
tering the streets of the city, and now ap- 
proaching a very large yard, which is sur- 




I 



fi 



. 1 

\ 



rounded by pillars of bpass. This is the 
court of the tabernacle* Curtains of linen, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 81 

of the finest net-work are drawn from 
pillar to pillar, so as to conceal the whole 
yard from the people without. The en- 
trance to the court is on the east side. The 
curtains that hang before the entrance, are 
of fine linen, embroidered with purple, and 
blue, and scarlet. They are drawn up by 
cords, and David and his companions enter 
with confidence that they are now among 
the friends, and the servants of God. On 
such an occasion, the thought would come 
into his heart, " Oh how I love thy taber- 
nacles. How peaceful and holy are the 
pursuits of these men, and how unlike the 
conduct of my enemies." 

In the centre of the court, and in front 
of the entrance, stood the altar of burnt 
offerings. It was a square frame, made 
of boards, covered with brass, five feet 
and a half high, and nine feet in 
breadth ; the inside was filled up quite to 



82 



LIFE OF DAVID. 



the top, with earth. Here a fire was kept 
constantly burning, to consume the sacri- 
fices, and here the priests offered the morn- 
ing and evening sacrifice. 




Beyond this, in the western part of the 
court, stood the tabernacle. It was a long, 



LIFE OF DAVID. * 83 

narrow building. The entrance to the 
building, as represented in the view of the 
tabernacle, is at the eastern end, which 
faces the entrance to the court and the altar 
of burnt-offerings. The tabernacle was 
built of boards of the acacia wood, covered 
inside and out with shining gold ; the en- 
trance was left open, except that there was 
a row of golden pillars across it, and splen- 
did curtains of fine white linen, beautifully 
embroidered in rich colours, were thrown 
over the whole building, so as to give it the 
appearance of a tent or tabernacle, such as 
are erected for eastern kings, when they 
rest upon their journeys. These beauti- 
ful curtains would be spoiled, if they were 
exposed to the sun and rain ; so they were 
covered with several other curtains of a 
coarser kind. 

Between the door of the tabernacle 
and the altar of burnt-offerings, stood the 



84 LIFE OF DAVID. 

brass laver. This was filled with water 
every morning, and was very useful ; for 
none of the priests might enter the taberna- 
cle, or go up to the altar, without washing 
their hands and feet. It was very large ; the 
upper part shaped like a tea cup, and the 
lower part like a wine-glass. In the lower 
part there were spouts, through which the 
water could be drawn into basins, when 
wanted. 

Such was probably the tabernacle, when 
David reached Nob. Looking around the 
court, he sees many people very busy in 
every part of it ; the Gibeonites carrying 
wood, to keep alive the flame upon the al- 
tar, and in one corner, by the court, a priest 
standing, where some lambs are kept. He 
is choosing two lambs for the evening sa- 
crifice ; the other priests are about to 
offer a sacrifice on the altar. But who is 
that man in long robes, and with a grave 



LIFE OF DAVID. 85 

Countenance, who is standing near the door 
of the tabernacle? That is Ahimelech, 
the high priest. He is looking with sur- 
prise at David, as he approaches him, his 
face red with heat and fatigue, and his 
clothes soiled with the dust. He had never 
before seen him appear so much disturbed. 
Whenever he had been at the tabernacle 
before, he had always been attended by 
some of the king's officers and great men, 
and followed by many servants. 

Ahimelech did not know that the king 
was angry with David, and asked why he 
had not his usual attendants. Then Da- 
vid was tempted to do wrong. He was 
hungry, and could not travel further, un- 
less he was supplied wdth food. He feared 
Ahimelech w^ould not relieve him, if he 
knew that the king w^as his enemy. In- 
stead of trusting in God and speaking the 
truth, he contrived a lie to deceive the 
H 



86 LIFE OF DAVID. 

high priest. He told Ahimelech that the 
king had sent him somewhere on business, 
which must be kept secret ; and that he 
had sent his servants to different places, to 
wait for. him. 

He asked Ahimelech to give him the 
bread that was under his hand ; but the 
high priest said that it was not common 
bread, but some of the shew-bread, which 
he had removed from the table in the ta- 
bernacle. 

In the outer room of the taberna- 
cle stood a table, on which twelve loaves 
of unleavened bread were constantly kept. 
It was called shew-bread, because it was 
placed or showed before God, in his house. 
Every Sabbath these loaves were ex- 
changed for new ones. Those that were 
taken away, were eaten by the priests in 
the court of the tabernacle. Ahimelech 
hesitated about giving David this bread, 



LIFE or DAVID. 87 

because none but the priests might eat it. 
But he thought, that as David was in great 
need, and the king's business was import- 
ant, he would venture to give it to him. 

David then asked the high priest if he 
could give him a sword or spear, as he 
had come away in such haste that he had 
brought no weapons. Ahimelech told him 
they had no weapons in that place ; but 
there was the sword of Goliath, which had 
been laid up in the tabernacle, as a memo- 
rial of David's victory over the giant. Da- 
vid was much pleased at the answ^er, and 
said, " there is none like that, give it to 
me." 

David wished, before he went away 
from the tabernacle, to ask counsel of God : 
and he requested the high priest to go into 
the tabernacle, and inquire of God what 
he should do. The high priest could not 
do this, without wearing the Urim and 



88 LIFE OF DAVID. 

Thummim. It is hard to say what the 
Urim and Thummim was ; hut it was some- 
thing that was put into a splendid hreast- 
plate, covered with jewels, which the high 
priest sometimes wore. Ahimelech put on 
this hreast plate, and when the curtain he- 
fore the entrance was drawn up, he en- 
tered the outer room of the tabernacle. 

Every thing looked bright and sparkling, 
for the sides of the room, and all the furni- 
ture, were covered with gold. On the left 
hand of the high priest stood a golden can- 
dlestick, with many branches, ornamented 
with flowers carved in gold. Lamps, which 
were kept constantly burning, were placed 
in all these branches. On the right hand 
was the table, on which two piles of shew- 
bread were placed. An altar, covered 
with gold, on which incense was burnt 
morning and evening, stood directly before 
Ahimelech, and back of that an embroi- 



LtFfi OF DAVID* 89 

dered curtain was drawn across the taber- 
nacle. It separated the outer apartment, 
or holy place, where the high priest stood, 
from the inner apartment, which was called 
the Holy of Holies, because the glory of 
God shone there, and God was present in 
a peculiar manner. The high priest stood 
before the curtain, and solemnly asked 
God to direct David ; and God answered 
him from the Holy of Holies. 

David would gladly have remained to 
join in the sacrifices and worship of the 
Sabbath, but he was afraid that messen- 
gers from king Saul might overtake him. 
So he took leave of the high priest, and de- 
parted. 

While he had been talking wdth Ahi- 

•melech, one of the servants of Saul stood 

near, and listened to all that was said. 

His name was Doeg, and he was an Edom- 

ite ; that is^ one of the descendants of Esau. 
H 2 



90 LIFE OF DAVID. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

David tries to escape from Saul, 

When David and his friends had reached 
a solitary place, they sat down under a 
tree, and refreshed themselves with the 
bread that Ahimelech had given them, and 
some water from the clear spring. Then 
they felt stronger, and went forward to 
Gath, one of the cities of Philistia. They 
went immediately to the palace of Achish, 
the king of Gath. David entered the court 
of the palace, and was conducted to the 
king. He asked Achish to protect him; 
and Achish gave him leave to remain in 
his palace. 

Achish was a sensible king. David- 
had been useful to Saul, and Achish knew 
that he might become useful to him. He 
saw that David had great talents, and 



LIFE OF DAVID. 91 

treated him with much attention. When 
the great men of Gath saw it, they were 
jealous and displeased. They were afraid 
that David would draw away from them- 
selves, the favour of the king ; and they 
pretended to think that David had come 
as a spy into the city. 

They asked the king if this was not the 
same David, who had already heen chosen 
to be king of Israel ; and who had been 
praised, in the songs of the maidens, for 
killing Goliath, one of the lords of Gath. 

David, seeing their jealous looks, and 
that they were trying to make the king 
suspicious of him, was much alarmed. 

If David had remained a shepherd boy, 
and had never done any thing remark- 
able, he might have been safe at home. 
And if he had gone into Philistia, he might 
have been safe there. But when songs 
were composed and sung in his praise, and 



02 LIFE OF DAVID. 

he was talked about and celebrated all 
over the country, he began to be distressed 
and in danger. Saul envied and drove 
him aw^ay, and then the great men of Gath 
envied and tried to injure him. 

David found it very inconvenient to be so 
much celebrated ; and many others have 
found it so. Those persons w^ho are not 
praised and considered great, are often the 
happiest. Yet many people are always 
trying to be great. Perhaps God suffered 
these troubles to come upon David, that he 
might not be proud, as he would have 
been, if he had been suddenly raised from 
a poor man to be a king. 

David was much distressed, and knew 
not what to do, when he saw that the Phi- 
listine lords were plotting against him. 
He composed the fifty-sixth Psalm* at this 

* Be merciful unto me, O God : for man would swal- 
low me up ; he fighting daily oppresseth me. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 93 

time. In this Psalm, he expressed great 
confidence that God would take care of 
him ; but he soon lost this confidence, and 

Mine enemies would daily swallow me up : for they 
be many that fight against me, O thou Most High. 

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 

In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my 
trust ; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. 

Every day they wrest my words : all their thoughts 
are against me for evil. 

They gather themselves together, they hide them- 
selves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my 
soul. 

Shall they escape by iniquity ? in thine anger cast 
down the people, O God. 

Thou tellest my wanderings : put thou my tears into 
thy bottle : are they not in thy book "? 

When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn 
back: this I know ; for God is for me. 

In God will I praise his word : in the Lord will I 
praise his word. 

In God have I put my trust : I will not be afraid 
what man can do unto me. 

Thy vows are upon me, O God : I will render praises 
unto thee. 

For thou hast delivered my soul from death : wilt 
not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk 
before God in the light of the living 1 



94 LIFE OF DAVID. 

became so much afraid of Achish and his 
courtiers, that he acted very unbecom- 
ingly. That they might not envy him any 
longer, but might rather pity his misfor- 
tunes, he pretended to be crazy. He ne- 
glected his dress, and scrabbled on the 
doors of the king's palace ; and went about 
like a person who knows not what he is 
doing. The people began to despise him ; 
and Achish told his servants to send him 
away, for he did not want a crazy man 
about his palace. 

After David had escaped from Gath, his 
courage began to revive. He walked, with 
his few companions, eastward into his own 
country, thinking as he went, of the good- 
ness of God in delivering him from so many 
dangers. They soon turned aside from the 
high road that led through fields of grain 
and plantations of fig and olive trees, into 
more wild and unfrequented paths. They 



LIFE OF DAVID. 95 

were in the land of Judah, not many miles 
from Bethlehem, but a long range of moun- 
tains lay between them and that city. 

They were seeking, on the western side 
of those mountains, for some place of con- 
cealment. The tall trees and shrubs pro- 
tected them from the heat of the sun. 
When they were hungry and thirsty, they 
could pick the berries and wild fruits that 
grew among the bushes, and drink from 
the stream that trickled down the rocks. 
After climbing steep hills, and walking 
carefully along the edges of the precipices, 
they came to a high rock, in which was a 
large opening. We may suppose that this 
opening was almost hidden by vines, hang- 
ing from the top of the rock, and trees and 
shrubs growing by its sides. 

They pushed aside the vines, and en- 
tered a cave or hollow place in the rock. 
It was a large room. The floor, and sides, 



Ho LIFE OF DAVID. 

and roof, were of rock. This was the cave 
of Adullam. Here David wrote the thirty- 
fourth* Psalm, in praise of God for deliver- 
ing him from his enemies, at Gath. 

* I will bless the Lord at all times : his praise shall 
continually be in my mouth. 

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord : the hum- 
ble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 

magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his 
name together. 

1 sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered 
me from all my fears. 

They looked unto him, and were lightened ; and their 
faces were not ashamed. 

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and 
saved him out of all his troubles. 

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them 
that fear him, and he delivereth them. 

O taste and see that the Lord is good ; blessed is the 
man that trusteth in him. 

O fear the Lord, ye his saints ; for there is no want 
to them that fear him. 

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger ; but 
they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. 

Come, ye children, hearken unto me : I will teach 
you the fear of the Lord. 

What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many 
days, that he may see good ? 



LIFE OF DAVID. 97 

He had not been long in this place, be- 
fore his friends at Bethlehem learned where 
he had concealed himself. They were al- 
ready exposed to danger on his account, 
from the hatred of Saul. They beUeved 
that David would one day be king, and 
they determined to unite themselves to 

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speak- 
ing guile. 

Depart from evil, and do good ; seek peace, and pur- 
sue it. 

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and 
his ears are open unto their cry. 

The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to 
cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 

The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and deli- 
vereth them out of all their troubles. 

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken 
heart ; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 

Many are the afflictions of the righteous : but the 
Lord delivereth him out of them all. 

He keepeth all his bones : not one of them is broken. 

Evil shall slay the wicked : and they that hate the 
righteous shall be desolate. 

The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants : and 
none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. 

I 



98 LIFE OF DAVID. 

him. His parents, and brothers, and ne- 
phews, came to the cave where he was, 
and remained with him. Three of his 
sister's sons, Joab, and Abishai, and 
Asahel, were afterwards officers in his 
army. 

It soon became known in the neighbour- 
hood, that David Uved at AduUam, and the 
number which came to him amounted to 
about four hundred men. They made him 
their captain. Some of these men were 
very poor ; others were in debt, and afraid 
of their creditors ; and others were discon- 
tented with the government of Saul, and 
wanted a new king. They knew that Da- 
vid expected to become king, and they 
thought he would make them great men, 
when he came into power, if they joined 
themselves early to him. 

Perhaps these men had cause to com- 
plain of Saul. They had probably brought 



LIFE OF DAVID. 99 

trouble upon themselves by their own im- 
prudence; but they hoped to gain some- 
thing, if they could obtain a new king. 
They were brave men, and much attached 
to David. Probably they wished to have 
David collect an army immediately, and 
fight against Saul. But David would not 
do this. He chose to wait till God gave 
him the kingdom. 

David knew that he could not long be 
hidden from Saul, and he washed to find a 
safe and comfortable place for his father 
and mother, who were too old to bear hard- 
ships and frequent removals. He remem- 
bered that they had relations in Moab, as 
his father's grandmother, Ruth^ had come 
from that country. 

Protected by his company of soldiers, 
he w^ent with his parents to a town 
called Mizpeh, of Moab, and requested 
the king of Moab to take care of them 



100 LIFE OF DAVID. 

The king consented that they should live 
in one of his houses. 

David and his men staid in a city of 
Moab, which had strong walls and towers, 
till God sent a prophet to tell him to go 
back into the land of Judah. David in- 
stantly obeyed the command, and went to 
the forest of Hareth. 



CHAPTER IX. 

The Murder of the Priests by SauL 

I WILL now tell you more about Saul. 
After David had gone away from Gibeah, 
Saul tried for some time to find him, but 
he could not. At last, one day, when all 
his officers and many soldiers were stand- 
ing around, he began to reproach them for 
not telling him where David was. Because 
they did not tell him,Saul accused them of 



LIFE OF DAVID. 101 

having agreed with David, to kill him. 
He asked them very scornfully, if David 
had promised to pay them for doing this, 
by giving them fields and vineyards, and 
making them great officers. He also ac- 
cused his son Jonathan of being a traitor, 
or of wishmg to injure the king. 

All the good men who were near Saul, 
were ashamed to hear him talk so fool- 
ishly and wickedly; but there was one 
person standing by, whom you will recol- 
lect, when I tell you his name. It was 
Doeg the Edomite, who was in the court 
of the tabernacle, when David came there 
in distress, to ask the help of Ahimelech. 

Doeg was very glad to tell Saul what 

he knew; for he was a wicked man, and 

loved to do mischief. He informed the 

king, that Ahimelech, the high priest, had 

assisted David when he fled from Saul, by 

giving him food and a sword ; but he did 
12 



102 LIFE OF DAVID. 

not tell him that Ahimelech was deceived, 
and supposed that David had come there 
on an errand from the king. 

Then the king was very angry with 
Ahimelech, and sent to Nob, and com- 
manded him to come immediately to the 
palace at Gibeah. He sent also for all the 
other priests who were at Nob. There 
were eighty-five of them. They all came 
and appeared before the king, dressed in 
the long robes which they usually wore 
when offering sacrifices at the tabernacle. 

Saul asked Ahimelech why he had given 
David bread, and a sword, and inquired of 
God for him. Ahimelech answered, that 
he supposed he was doing right in helping 
David, because he was the king's son-in- 
law, and had always been an obedient sub- 
ject to Saul. This was not the first time 
he had inquired of God for David ; he had 
often done it before. He said that he did 



I 



LIFE OF DAVID. 103 

not know that Saul was displeased with 
David. He begged that he might not be 
blamed for what he had done, because he 
had no intention of doing wrong. 

Ahimelech was so generous, that he did 
not inform Saul of the lie that David had 
told him. I hope you will remember this, 
when you are tempted to defend your- 
selves by telling of the faults of others. 

It was very plain that Ahimelech was 
innocent ; but Saul would not believe it. 
He told Ahimelech, that he and all the 
other priests must die; though the other 
priests had not given any aid to David. 
He commanded his guards to kill them ; 
but they would not, because they knew 
that the priests did not deserve to die. The 
king then ordered Doeg to do it So Doeg 
murdered all the priests except one, and 
afterwards went with some soldiers to the 
city of Nob, and slew all the people in the 



104 LIFE OF DAVID. 

city ; even the women and children. Saul 
was very cruel, to allow so many innocent 
persons to be killed. Such cruel kings are 
called tyrants. 

While Doeg was killing the priests, Abi- 
athar, one of the sons of iVhimelech, es- 
caped from the palace, and fled into the 
land of Judah, to David. He told David 
what Saul had done ; and David was much 
grieved. He remembered how he had de- 
ceived Ahimelech, and was very sorry. 
He told Abiathar to remain with him, and 
promised to take care of him. Abiathar 
was now high priest, because his father 
and brothers were dead. 



t 



4 



LIFE OF DAVID. 105 

CHAPTER X. 
David saves the city of Keilah, 
David was now hidden in the forest of 
Hareth. There were six hundred men 
with him ; but they kept as much con- 
cealed as they could, among the rocks and 
trees. It was the time of harvest ; and 
when David or any of his men were obliged 
to leave the wood, they saw the reapers 
cutting down the grain with their sickles. 
Harvest time, in Palestine, lasted seven 
weeks, from about the first of April, to 
near the middle of May. 

There was a city in the neighbourhood, 
that had walls and gates like the other 
cities in that country. All around the city 
were large fields of grain, for the inhabit- 
ants were husbandmen. It was a very 
happy time. Early in the morning the 
gates were opened, and the people were 



106 LIFE OF DAVID. 

seen leaving the city, and hastening to- 
wards their fields of corn. 

The owner of the field walked about to 
see that his servants and children did their 
work properly, and sometimes he would 
work himself. The reapers were very joy- 
ful, and songs of praise to God might be 
heard in all the fields. If any traveller 
passed near, he would stop and salute the 
reapers, by saying, " the blessing of Jeho- 
vah be upon you ;" and they would an- 
swer, "be thou blessed of the Lord." 

After the grain was cut down, the men 
and women bound it into bundles, and then 
poor people who had no land of their own, 
were scattered all over the fields, picking 
up the stalks that had been left. This is 
called gleaning. 

When the grain was all bound up, the 
reapers were very active in carrying it 
to their threshing floors. The threshing 



LIFE OF DAVID. 



107 



floors were large round places in the field, 
where the grass and herbs had been 
ploughed up, and the ground beaten hard, 




like a floor. The reapers scattered the 
grain in a circle on the floor, and then har- 
nessed a pair of oxen to the threshing ma- 



108 



LIFE OF DAVID. 



chine. This was a heavy wooden frame, 
with iron wheels upon the bottom, having 
sharp teeth, hke a saw. The driver sat 
upon this frame and drove the oxen around 
upon the grain, till it was all beaten out 
of the ears. 

While the people of Keilah were em- 
ployed in threshing, the Philistine soldiers 
came suddenly upon them, and began to 
take away their grain and their cattle. 
They were much distressed, but could not 
drive away the Philistines, because they 
were not strong enough, and because they 
had not brought their spears and armour 
from home. They had only their sickles 
to fight with. 

David heard that the Philistines were 
robbing the people of Keilah, and wished 
to help them. He called Abiathar, the 
high priest, and told him to put on the 
ephod. This was an outer garment, in 



LIFE OF DAVID. 109 

which the breast-plate, with the Urim and 
Thummin was fastened. Abiathar then 
inquired of God if David should go and 
fight with the Philistines ; and the Lord 
told him to go. 

But when David called his men, he 
found that they were afraid to go, because 
they would be in danger from Saul, as 
well as from the Philistines. David in- 
quired of the Lord again, and the Lord told 
him to go, and promised to help him to 
conquer the Philistines. 

Then David and his men went to Kei- 
lah, and fought with the Philistines, and 
took from them the grain and the cattle 
which they were carrying away from Kei- 
lah. Many of the Philistines were killed, 
and the rest fled. David then went into 
the city; and I suppose the inhabitants 
were very grateful to him for helping 

them. 

K 



110 LIFE OF DAVID. 

Saul soon heard that David was at Kei- 
lah, and he was very glad. He determined 
to surround the city with his soldiers, and 
he thought it would be impossible for Da- 
vid to escape. But David heard of his in- 
tention, and he told Abiathar to inquire of 
God, if Saul would certainly come \vith his 
soldiers to take David. God said he would 
come. And David inquired if the men of 
Keilah would give him up to Saul. God 
answered that they would. God knew 
that the people of Keilah would be so much 
afraid of Saul, that they would not dare to 
protect David, though he had saved them 
from the Philistines. 

Then David escaped from Keilah, and 
went into the wilderness of Ziph. It was 
a mountainous place, near the Dead sea ; 
and David and his men hid themselves in 
a wood. There are many large caves 
among the mountains of Palestine, and I 



LIFE OF DAVID. Ill 

suppose David lived in one of them, v^hen 
he was in the w^ood of Ziph. 

He was very sorrowful, and if he had 
not thought of God, and trusted in him, he 
would have had no comfort. He was tired 
of being driven about from place to place, 
without any home, or comfortable food. 
He was afraid that Saul and his soldiers, 
would discover which way he had fled 
from Keilah, and come and kill him. He 
wrote a beautiful little poem at this time, 
which will tell you his feelings. It is the 
thirty-first Psalm. He first prays that 
God would save him from his enemies. 
Then he becomes more submissive, and 
gives himself up to God, to do what he 
pleased with him. This feeling made him 
happy, and he began to thank God for 
bringing him safely out of Keilah. But 
soon he began to think again of his trou- 
bles. He was weary and sad, and all the 



112 LIFE OF DAVID, 

time afraid of the king. His days were 
spent in continual sorrow, and many of his 
nights in weeping. His enemies were try- 
ing to kill him, and he was deserted by 
many who had been once his friends. If 
they saw him passing along the road, they 
would instantly run away, that they might 
not be seen in his company, because he 
was in disgrace with the king. Many of 
his acquaintance had given him up, as 
much as if he was dead, and laid in the 
grave ; but in spite of all this, he trusted 
in God, and soon began to praise him. 



CHAPTER XL 

Jonathan's visit to David 

Saul was now seeking every where for 
David, and David knew it. He remained 
in a cave, in the midst of a thick wood. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 113 

Let US think of David in the wood of 
Ziph. 

It was probably near sunset, and the 
heat of the day was over. David had . 
come out of the cave. He looked thought- 
ful and sad. Some of his chief officers were 
near, and talking together. Perhaps they 
were planning how they should escape 
from Saul. 

As you looked through the trees, you 
might see, in every part of the wood, little 
circles of the men, who were making pre- 
parations for their evening meal. Some 
were searching among the openings of the 
rocks, and in the hollows of the trees, for 
honeycomb. There are so many bees in 
Palestine, that they make their honey in 
such places; so that the whole country 
was called, '* a land flowing with milk and 
honey," and honey was often found drop- 
ping out of the rocks. Perhaps some of 
K 2 



114 LIFE OF DAVID. 

the men were kindling fires, and others ga- 
thering nuts and berries, or picking the 
fruit of the prickly pear, which grows 
much larger there than in this country* 

Presently David saw a person richly 
dressed, Walking among the trees, and 
coming near to the place where he stood. 
It was his friend Jonathan. David was 
delighted to see the prince, for they had 
not met since they bade each other fare- 
well, in the fields of Gibeah. 

Jonathan soon saw that David was in 
great fear of Saul, and very sorrowful. Jo- 
nathan tried to encourage and comfort his 
friend. He told him that God would not 
suffer him to be killed by Saul, but would 
preserve his life, and make him king over 
Israel. Jonathan said, that when David 
became king, he would be his friend, and 
would be next to him in the government. 
After they had talked sometime together, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 115 

the}'^ prayed to God, and then separated. 
Jonathan went back to Gibeah. 

This conduct is the more surprising in 
Jonathan, as he was a prince of very ex- 
traordinary valour, executing the most sur- 
prising feats of bravery. He must have 
known well what the will of God was, in 
relation to David; and he showed great 
piety in yielding to that will so cheerfully. 

The sun had gone down, and the stars 
began to twinkle over their heads. David 
and his ^men retired into their caves and 
resting places, among the rocks. The birds 
which sang to them in the day time, had 
also gone to rest, and only the screaming 
of the jackall was heard, or the roar of 
wild beasts which had come out of their 
dens in search of food. 



116 LIFE OF I^AVID. 

CHAPTER XII. 

Saul goes to seek David, 

David soon travelled southward ; for he 
was afraid to remain long in a place. He 
passed through some woods and fields, and 
then went up a mountain near the shores 
of the Dead sea. From this mountain, 
there was a delightful prospect. 

Upon his right hand, he saw the pleasant 
country around Hebron, covered with vine- 
yards and olive trees. The brook of He- 
bron wound around the foot of the moun- 
tain, sometimes dashing and foaming over 
the rocks, and sometimes spreading out 
into a broad smoolh stream in the valleys. 

On his left hand, David saw the Dead 
sea, that great lake which God caused to 
flow over the cities of Sodom and Gomor- 
rah, on account of the wickedness of the 



UFE OF DAVID. 117 

inhabitants. It is sixty-seven miles long, 
and seventeen broad, and is surrounded by- 
sharp rocky mountains. Nothing green 
grows upon these mountains, nor upon the 
sandy shores of the lake ; for God has made 
it a barren spot, that it may remain a me- 
morial of the wickedness of the people who 
once lived here, and of the dreadful man- 
ner in which they were punished. 

When David and his companions had 
gone a few miles farther, they came to a 
high hill. It was the hill of Hachilah. 
There were many rocks at this place, and 
caves, w^here they could hide themselves; 
so they remained, and tried to make them- 
selves as comfortable as they could. I sup- 
pose they made their beds out of leaves, or 
by spreading their cloaks or slight beds on 
the hard rocks. 

They were exposed to danger from ser- 
pents, which creep about in such solitary 



118 LIFE OF DAVID. 

places, and might have bitten them when 
they were asleep; and also from wild 
beasts, such as lions, bears, and leopards. 
I dare say David often heard them roar- 
ing about him, when he was lying upon 
his hard bed, and thinking over some of 
his beautiful Psalms. Perhaps this is the 
reason why he so often compared his ene- 
mies to wild beasts. 

In the mean time, the people of the city 
of Ziph, knowing that David was in their 
neighbourhood, had determined to inform 
Saul. Some of them went to the king, 
and told him that David was at the hill of 
Hachilah, and offered to conduct him and 
and his army to the place. Saul was very 
glad, and thanked them. He immediately 
collected an army, and went with the men 
into the land of Judah. 

When David heard that the Ziphites had 
betrayed him to Saul, he composed the 



LIFE OF DAVID. 119 

fifty-fourth Psalm, in which he declares 
his confidence in God, in spite of the treach- 
ery of men. 

David, hearing that Saul was near, went 
into a mountaiain the wilderness of Maon. 
Saul immediately followed him, and or- 
dered his men to surround the mountain. 
Now, if you will look on the map, at the 
place where David was, you will see that 
he was in great danger. I suppose that he 
w^as on the east side of the mountain. He 
could not go far eastward, without plung- 
ing into the Dead sea. Saul and his men 
had spread themselves around the other 
sides of the mountain, and were attempting 
to fill up the passages to the north and 
south, so that David could not possibly es- 
cape. 

David could have fought with Saul, and 
perhaps conquered him; for there were 
now a great many brave men with David. 



120 LIFE OF DAVID. 

But he did not think it right to fight against 
his king. It is probable that many of Da- 
vid's men had their wives and children to 
remove, which made it much more difficult 
to escape. 

Saul began to think that his malicious 
designs would be accomplished, and that 
David was entirely in his power. But God 
heard David's prayers, and took care of 
him, when he could not take care of him- 
self. Just then, a messenger came to the 
king in great haste, and told him that the 
Phihstines had come into the country ; and 
Saul was obliged to go away and fight the 
Philistines. 

David soon went still further southward, 
into the desert of Engedi. He passed near 
the city of Engedi, which has many plea- 
sant gardens and vineyards around it. In 
these gardens and vineyards, a beautiful 
plant, called camphire, or alhenna, grew 



LIFE OF DAVID. 121 

very abundantly. It is a tall shrub, bear- 
ing clusters of yellow and white flowers on 
scarlet flower stalks. It is a splendid 
flower, and very fragrant, and is the most 
^ favoilrite nosegay of the ladies in the east- 
ern countries. 

David might not enter these cultivated 
fields, but turned aside, and ascended one 
of the barren mountains, on the southern 
shores of the Dead sea. David and his 
men walked sadly along, over the sandy 
soil, among the high rocky peaks of these 
mountains. Dark, gloomy caverns, fit 
places for wild beasts and poisonous ser- 
pents, were the only shelter they could 
find. The wild goats were climbing the 
steep precipices, and the eagles built their 
nests upon the highest rocks. 

I think David and his men must have 
found the time pass tediously on these wild 
hills ; but they were obliged to go every 
L 



122 LIFE OF DAVID. 

day in search of food and water, for no 
nourishing vegetables grew^ in this desert, 
and no clear streams trickled down the 
rocks. 

When they all met, they could con- 
verse and pray together. They were 
very fond of music, and we may suppose 
that at evening, when the moon was shin- 
ing on the Dead sea, and its salt waves 
breaking on the shore, they used to sit to- 
gether among the rocks, and sing some of 
David's psalms; such as that beautiful 
one the 144tli. 

It was necessary that, in this wilder- 
ness, large fires should be kindled near 
them, to keep off wild beasts. When they 
talked with each other, they were grave, 
and spoke wisely. They did not laugh and 
jest, as is common in this country. They 
only spoke when they had something sen- 
sible to say, and they said it in as few words 



LIFE OF DAVID. 123 

as possible. , Sometimes they talked in 
poetry. They were so much accustomed 
to speak poetically, that they could do it 
without taking any pains. This was es- 
pecially true of David. ^ 

David taught them much about God and 
his works. He spoke of his greatness and 
goodness, and encouraged them by repeat- 
ing his promise, that David should cer- 
tainly be king of Israel. He told them that 
they must wait patiently to have this pro- 
mise fulfilled, and not to complain of their 
present distress and danger. 

But Saul did not suffer them to remain 
quiet, even in this desolate place. When 
he had driven the Philistines from the coun- 
try, he chose three thousand soldiers, and 
went among the rocks of Engedi, to seek 
David. While his men were climbing the 
precipices, and looking all around the 
mountains for David, Saul went into a 



124 LIFE OF DAVID. 

cave to rest himself. He quietly composed 
himself, supposing that he was alone, and 
without a thought of danger. 

David and his men were concealed in 
the sides of the cave. They saw their 
enemy in their power. Some of them 
grasped their swords, and the recollection 
of the injuries they had received from Saul, 
caused their eyes to flash with anger. They 
turned towards their commander, waiting 
only for a word from him, hefore they 
rushed forward to strike the blow. He 
gave no order. " See," said they to him, 
" God has delivered your enemy into your 
hand." 

David silently approached Saul. He 
drew his sword from its scabbard. As 
it moved, his men expected to see the king 
pierced to the heart. No ; David has only 
cut off the fringed corner of Saul's robe ; 
and he is now sorry that he has fkken so 



LIFE OF DAVID. 125 

great a liberty with his king ; and he said 
to his men, " the Lord forbid that I should 
do this thing unto my master, the Lord's 
anointed, to stretch forth my hand against 
him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord." 
Though his men were eager to kill Saul, 
that they might escape from these fright- 
ful deserts, and return to their friends and 
home, yet David restrained them. This 
shows that he had great influence over 
those who were around him. 

When Saul went out of the cave, David 
followed him, and called out, "my lord, 
the king." Saul turned back, and saw 
David ; and David bowed himself so that 
his face touched the ground. " Where- 
fore," said he, " hearest thou men's words, 
saying, Behold David seeketh thy hurt?" 

David knew that there were wicked 
slanderers and tale-bearers about Saul, 
who tried to prejudice him against David. 
L 2 



126 LIFE OF DAVID. 

David could now prove to Saul, that he 
did not wish to injure him. He held up 
the skirt of Saul's robe, and said, " Behold, 
this day thine eyes have seen how that the 
Lord hath delivered thee to-day into my 
hand in the cave : and some bade me kill 
thee; but mine eye spared thee; and 1 
said, I will not put forth my hand against 
my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed. 
Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt 
of thy robe in my hand : for in that I cut 
off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee 
not, know thou and see that there is nei- 
ther evil nor transgression in my hand, and 
I have not sinned against thee ; yet thou 
huntest my soul to take it. The Lord 
therefore be judge, and judge between me 
and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and 
deliver me out of thy hand." 

Saul was so much affected by hearing 
of the danger he had been in, and by Da- 



LIFE OF DAVID. 127 

vid's generosity, that he wept; and he 
said, " Is this thy voice, my son David 1 
Thou art more righteous than I, for thou 
hast rewarded me good, w^hereas I have 
rewarded thee evil." Saul told David that 
he knew he would become king of Israel, 
as God had said, and begged David to pro- 
mise to be kind to the children of Saul. 
David promised Saul. Saul went home 
with his army, and David and his men re- 
turned to the cave. 

You will think, perhaps, that Saul now 
felt and acted more kindly towards Da- 
vid. But we shall soon see that he forgot 
his own danger in the cave, and David's 
generosity, and sought, with as much fury 
as ever, to take away his life. 

Though David was thankful to God for 
saving him, yet he knew he could not place 
any confidence in Saul. David was now 
twenty-seven years of age. About this 



128 LIFE OF DAVID. 

time he wrote the fifty-seventh Psalm. 
The sixty-third Psalm is one of the beau- 
tiful poems he composed while wandering 
in the dry, sandy deserts of Engedi, as a 
morning song. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

The Death of Samuel. 

Soon after this, the prophet Samuel died 
in Ramah, about 1100 years before the 
birth of Christ. He was a very old and 
very good man. He had governed the peo- 
ple many years before Saul became king, 
and they were very fond of him. The peo- 
ple still continued to love Samuel as a fa- 
ther, for Saul was so wicked they could 
neither love him, nor trust in him. The 
news of Samuel's death was immediately 
spread throughout the whole country. As 



LIFE OF DAVID. 129 

the people heard, they wept and hastened 
to Ramah to be present at his burial. 
They came in multitudes from every part 
of the land. Those who lived at the foot 
of Lebanon, a range of high mountains in 
the north, that are always covered with 
snow, were not prevented by the length 
of the journey from coming to look once 
more upon the face of their beloved friend 
and father. From the shores of the Medi- 
terranean sea, and the banks of the Jor- 
dan, and along the borders of the Dead sea 
they came ; men and women crowding the 
roads that led to Ramah, weeping and 
singing mournful ^songs. The city could 
hardly contain all who filled its streets 
and looked out at the windows, and leaned 
over the railing around the roofs. In the 
house of Samuel continual sounds of 
mourning were heard, especially from the 
apartments of the women. All the female 



130 LIFE OF DAVID. 

relatives sat in a circle on the floor around 
the chief mourners. They were silent, 
while some women at a little distance sung 
songs in praise of the prophet who was 
dead. When they ceased, the mourners 
arose and ran ahout the room with melan- 
choly shrieks, wringing their hands, tear- 
ing their garments, and throwing ashes 
upon their heads. The chief mourner sat 
still, in the centre, weeping and tearing her 
hair. It was not the children of Samuel 
alone who were sorrowful, for all the peo- 
ple lamented him, saying, " Alas my fa- 
ther ?" Funeral songs were sung, and the 
Levites played upon t^^ir musical instru- 
ments. We do not know what the songs 
w^ere, but perhaps, as all the multitude of 
the Israelites stood around the grave of 
their friend, they joined in singing the 
ninetieth Psalm, which had been written 
by Moses several hundred years before. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 131 

CHAPTER XIV. 

David goes to the desert. 

David heard of the death of Samuel 
from some of the people that went to Ra- 
mah out of the south-western part of Ju- 
dah. Now that his best friend was gone, he 
was still more afraid of Saul, and he left 
the land of Judah and went in a south- 
westerly direction, to the desert of Paran. 
This was a part of the great desert 
through which Moses and the Israelites 
passed, when he led them from Egypt to 
the land of Canaan. David and his com- 
panions travelled over a sandy plain. The 
heat of the sun was great, and their feet 
were almost bUstered by the burning sand. 
I suppose they had camels to carry their 
baggage, and on which the women and chil- 
dren could ride when they were weary. 



132 LIFE OF DAVID. 

These animals are very useful in the de- 
sert. Their feet are soft and flabby, and 
do not sink into the sand like the hard 
hoofs of many other animals. God has so 
made them, that they can go a long time 
without drinking. They also eat but little, 
which is very convenient in the desert, 
where there are few springs of water, and 
but little grass. Thus the party marched 
forward, though very hot and weary. 
Whenever a wind arose they were cover- 
ed with clouds of fine sand and dust. But 
I do not know how they could stop, till 
they came to a place where a spring of 
water was gushing out of the earth under 
a few trees. Around this there would be 
some grass for the camels. Here they all 
stopped and made their camels kneel down 
while they took off their burdens. There 
were no caves, so it was necessary to set 
up tents. They drove long poles into the 



LIFE OF DAVID. 133 

ground opposite each other, and then drew 
cloth over their tops and sides, and were 
then sheltered from the sun in the day 
time, and the dew at night. Though the 
heat was very great, beautiful lizards of 
the most brilliant colours were running 
about or basking in the sun all the day 
long. Even the children were not afraid 
of them, for they were perfectly harmless. 
But some of the most terrible creatures 
that are found in these deserts are scor- 
pions. They are small animals, a few 
inches in length, which crawl about on the 
ground, and sometimes fasten themselves 
to bed clothes and sting persons who are 
asleep. Their sting is very poisonous and 
causes death in a short time. David speaks 
of these scorpions in some of his songs, and 
compares them to wicked men. 

M 



134 LIFE OF t> AVID. 

CHAPTER XV- 

Story of JVabaL 

In this dreary wilderness, David and his 
men were distressed from want of food. 
They knew not what to do, till Davit} recol- 
lected a very rich man who owned a great 
deal of land on mount Carmel. This was 
not mount Carmel in the northern part of 
Palestine, but a smaller mountain west of 
the Dead sea, and near the wilderness of 
Maon. When David and his men were in 
the neighbourhood a short time before this, 
Nabal had three thousand sheep scattered 
over his large pastures in Carmel. The 
pastures were distant from NabaPs house ; 
and there were constantly many shepherds 
in the fields watching the sheep. David 
and his men had guarded the shepherds 
and the sheep, and kept them from being 



LIFE OF DAVID. 135 

injured by wicked men and wild beasts. 
Nabal's flocks would have been in great 
danger, if David had not protected them ; 
for there were many tribes of people about 
Palestine who lived by robbing ; often 
making distant journeys for that purpose. 
As they w^ent about in great numbers, they 
could only be driven away or kept at a 
distance by armed men. 

David now heard in the wilderness that 
Nabal was shearing his sheep, and he knew 
therefore that it was a time of feasting w^ith 
him ; and that he would have a great deal 
of food in his house. David sent ten young 
men with a respectful message to Nabal, 
telling him how he had guarded Nabal's 
shepherds, and asking for some provisions. 

The young men went to Nabal's^ house at 
mount Carmel. It was the hottest season 
of the year. There was no rain for seve- 
ral weeks, and not even a cloud. When 



136 LIFE OF DAVID. 

they came to the mountains of Judah they 
found that most of the delicate flowers 
that had covered the earth at the time of 
harvest, were dried up hy the sun. The 
grass also was scorched and yellow, except 
in the coolest places. There was no bar- 
ley or wheat waving upon the hills ; they 
had been reaped and gathered into store- 
houses. But the trees in the gardens were 
loaded with tempting fruit, fine peaches, 
nectarines, and mulberries ; and the ripe 
figs were dropping from the early fig tree. 
This was a season of plenty. Large melons 
lay upon the ground, clusters of green 
grapes hung from the vines, and the rich 
gum called balm of Gilead, was flowing 
out of the balsam tree. 

The young men came to the rich man's 
house, and knocked at the gate. I suppose 
that Nabal's house was like the houses of 
other great men in the east ; if so, David's 



LIFE OF DAVID. 



137 





Section 



OvCer 
Ciam7/en 



Inner' 
Chain}}en 



"^ AREA "" 



im OR "" 

a OPEN COURT nil 




mcin. 



lilir^l 



m2 



138 LIFE OF DAVID. 

messengers were led through a narrow 
porch, into a large square court which was 
open to the sky. The house was built on 
all sides of this court, with windows and 
balconies facing the court. There were 
many rooms in the house, but the court 
was pleasanter, during the hot season, than 
any of them, and here the master of the 
house, and his friends, and servants, were 
spending a few days in pleasure. The court 
waspaved with marble. In the middle there 
was often a fountain of water, surrounded 
with a spot of green turf with flowers and 
shrubs. The water fell into a basin and 
then trickled over the marble pavement. 
Around this fountain were seats, and near 
it the table was to be set for supper. 

The young men delivered their message ; 
and the style of it shows something of the 
customs of the Israelites. 

" Thus saith David the son of Jesse to 



LIFE OF DAVID. 139 

him that Hveth in prosperity. Peace be 
both to thee, and peace be to* thy house, 
and peace be unto all that thou hast. And 
now I have heard that thou hast shearers ; 
now, thy shepherds which were with us, 
we hurt them not, neither was there aught 
missing unto them all the while they were 
in Carmel. Ask thy young men, and they 
will show thee ; wherefore let the young 
men find favour in thine eyes ; (for we 
come in a good day ;) give, I pray thee, 
whatsoever cometh to thy hand unto thy 
servants, and to thy son David." 

Nabal was a haughty, passionate man, 
and very covetous. He gave a contemp- 
tuous answer to the young men. — " Who 
is David? and who is the son of Jesse? 
there be many servants now-a-days that 
break away every man from his master. 
Shall I then take my bread, and my wa- 
ter, and my flesh that I have killed for my 



140 LIFE OF DAVID. 

shearers, and give it unto men, whom I 
know not whence they be ?' 

The messengers returned and told Da- 
vid what Nabal had said. Then David 
was very angry. He ordered four hun- 
dred of his men to put on their swords and 
follow him. They marched quickly to- 
wards Nabal's house, intending to punish 
him for his unkindness. 

The servants of Nabal were grieved 
when they heard their master speak 
so harshly to David's messengers. They 
feared that David would be angry ; and 
one of them went to Abigail, NabaPs 
wife, and told her the whole — how David 
had protected their property, and how vile 
the conduct of Nabal was, saying, that he 
was such a son of Behal that a man could 
not speak to him. 

Abigail was a beautiful woman, and 
very sensible and prudent. Expecting 



LIFE OF DAVID. 141 

that David would resent her husband's 
treatment, she soon determined what to 
do. She took two hundred loaves of 
bread, and two bottles, made of skin, full 
of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and 
five measures of parched corn or grain, and 
a hundred clusters of raisins, and sent her 
servants to offer them as a present to Da- 
vid. Abigail soon followed them, riding on 



an ass, as is customary In that country. 
At the foot of a hill she met David and his 



142 LIFE OF DAVID. 

company. He was angry, and was hasten- 
ing forward to take revenge upon Nabal. 

As soon as Abigail saw him, she ahghted, 
and bowed herself, so that her forehead 
touched the ground : this was about the 
same in Palestine that it would be in this 
country to bow^ or courtesy very low. In 
the respectful manner of speaking which 
is common in eastern countries, she said to 
David, — 

" Upon me, my lord, upon me let this ini- 
quity be : and let thy handmaid, I pray 
thee, speak in thine audience, and hear 
the words of thy handmaid. Let not my 
lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, 
even Nabal : for as his name is, so is he :* 
Nabal is his name, and folly is with him : 
but I thy handmaid saw not the young men 
of my lord, w^hom thou didst send. Now 
therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and 
* J^abal, in Hebrew, means, /oo/i>A. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 143 

as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath 
withholden thee from coming to shed hlood, 
and from avenging thyself with thine own 
hand, now let thine enemies, and they that 
seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. And 
now this blessing which thy handmaid hath 
brought unto my lord, let it even be given 
unto the young men that follow my lord. 
I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thy 
handmaid : for the Lord will certainly 
make my lord a sure house ; because my 
lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and 
evil hath not been found in thee all thy 
days. Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, 
and to seek thy soul ; but the soul of my 
lord shall be bound in the bundle of life 
with the Lord thy God ; and the souls of 
thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as 
out of the middle of a sling. And it shall 
come to pass, when the Lord shall have 
done to my lord according to all the good 



144 LIFE OF DAVID. 

that he hath spoken concerning thee, and 
shall have appointed thee ruler over Is- 
rael ; That this shall be no grief unto thee, 
nor offence of heart unto my lord, either 
that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that 
my lord hath avenged himself ; but when 
the Lord shall have dealt well with my 
lord, then remember thy handmaid." 

Abigail's kind and prudent address over- 
came David's anger. He had determined 
to kill all Nabal's family, but he now re- 
membered that it was wrong to revenge 
himself, and especially to kill so many in- 
nocent persons for the fault of one man. 
He said to Abigail, " Blessed be the Lord 
God of Israel, which sent thee this day to 
meet me : and blessed be thy advice, and 
blessed be thou, which hast kept me this 
day from coming to shed blood, and from 
avenging myself with my own hands." 
He then told her that she might return 



LIFE OF DAVID. 145 

in peace, and that her present was ac- 
cepted. 

When Abigail came to her house, she 
heard the sounds of feasting and merri- 
ment. Nabal and his guests were eating 
and drinking ; and Nabal drank wine till 
he was intoxicated. So Abigail told him 
nothing that night. In the morning, when 
she saw that he was sober, she told him of 
the danger they had all been in, on ac- 
count of his unkindness to David. David 
would have come to fight with him, if she 
had not prevented it; and Nabal would have 
been unable to defend himself, as he, and 
most of the men with him were intoxica- 
ted with wine. Though Nabal had been 
so rash as to expose himself to this danger, 
yet he could not bear to think of it even 
after it was over. His heart sunk within 
him. God caused him to reflect so bitter- 
ly upon his conduct, and the evils with 
N 



146 LIFE OF DAVID. 

which he had been threatened, that after 
hngering ten days in a miserable state, he 
died. Sometime after Nabal died, David 
was married to Abigail. 



CHAPTERXVI. 

David visits the camp of SauL 

About this time, David returned to the 
wilderness of Ziph. Perhaps he went there 
that he might be in the neighbourhood of 
a cultivated country ; where he could 
more easily find provisions for the six hun- 
dred men and their families who were with 
him. But the people of the city of Ziph, 
discovered him, and a second time betray- 
ed him to Saul. Saul immediately came 
with an army of three thousand men to 
seek David. David, hearing that the king 
was near, sent out spies to discover the 



LIFE OF DAVID. 147 

place where he was encamped. After the 
spies had returned and told him of the 
place, David asked, " who will go with me 
to-night to the camp of the king." And 
Abishai, his nephew, said, "I will go." 
They went together. It was night when 
they came to the camp of Saul. The 
king was asleep in the centre of the en- 




campment ; and all the people were lying 
around him. David and his nephew ad- 
vanced silently into the centre of the cir- 



148 LIFE or DAVID. 

cle, and stood by the side of Saul. He was 
slumbering quietly, without dreaming of 
danger. His spear was stuck in the ground 
by his pillow, and a cruse of water stood 
by his side. As they looked at him, Abi- 
shai said, " God hath delivered thine ene- 
my into thine hand this day ; now, there- 
fore, let me smite him, I pray thee, with 
the spear even to the earth at once." 

And David said, " destroy him not, for 
who can stretch forth his hand against the 
Lord's anointed, and be guiltless." David 
also said, " As the Lord liveth, the Lord 
shall smite him ; or his day shall come to 
die ; or he shall descend into the battle 
and perish. The Lord forbid that I should 
stretch forth my hand against the Lord's 
anointed ; but I pray thee, take now the 
spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse 
of water, and let us go." 

Still Saul did not awake, for the Lord 



LIFE OF DAVID. 149 

had caused a deep sleep to fall upon him 
and his men. David took his spear and 
cruse of water, and hastened aw^ay to a 
hill at some distance. Standing on the top 
of the hill, he called loudly to Abner, the 
general of Saul's army ; and Abner aw^oke 
and answered him. 

Then David reproached him for sleep* 
ing while he should have guarded his 
king." Abner had the character of being 
a great general, and the protector of the 
king. David thus called to him in ridicule, 
" Art not thou a valiant man ? and who is 
like to thee in Israel ? Wherefore then 
hast thou not kept thy lord the king ? for 
there came one of the people in to destroy 
the king thy lord. This thing is not good 
that thou hast done. As the Lord liveth, 
ye are worthy to die, because ye have not 
kept your master, the Lord's anointed. 
And now see where the king's spear is, 
N 2 



150 LIFE OF DAVID. 

and the cruse of water that was at his bol- 
ster. And Saul knew David's voice, and 
said, Is this thy voice, my son David 1 and 
David said. It is my voice, my lord, O 
king." 

David complained to Saul on account of 
his coming with an army to seek a person 
of so little consequence, and humbly com- 
pared himself to an innocent partridge, 
which men hunt upon the mountains. 

Saul, notwithstanding his bad temper, was 
affected by David's kindness, and he called 
to him from the distant hill where he 
stood, "Blessed be thou my son David; thou 
shalt both do great things, and shalt pre- 
vail." 

Saul again seemed penitent, and spoke 
to David in a kind manner. But David 
had known him too long to trust him. He 
requested that a person might be sent to 
take Saul's spear, and prayed to God to 



LIFE OF DAVID. 151 

be kind to him, as he had been kind to 
Saul. This was the last time that David 
and Saul ever met. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

David goes to live among the Philistines. 

David considered Saul's hatred to him 
so bitter, and his frequent treacherous con- 
duct to him, left him so little ground of re- 
liance on his promises, that he concluded 
he could not live in safety in that country, 
and he began to think of escaping from 
him into the land of the Philistines. He 
became weary of being driven about from 
place to place, in the land of Judah, and 
even preferred to live among a people who 
were idolatrous and wicked. It was wrong 
for David to be impatient, after God had 
so kindly taken care of him. But he did 



152 LIFE OF DAVID. 

not go till he had, in the hundred and for- 
ty-first Psalm, prayed earnestly to' God to 
keep him from being led astray by the 
evil examples of the Philistines. 

He again sought protection from Achish 
the king of Gath. For a time, he and his 
six hundred men, with their families, re- 
mained in Gath ; and Saul, hearing of his 
being there, gave up any further pursuit. 
But at length David requested Achish to 
give them some small city, where they 
might live by themselves. The king gave 
them the city of Ziklag, w^hich was south 
of Gath. There David and his friends 
would be farther from temptation, and 
might worship God without exciting so 
much notice and opposition. After David 
had removed thither, many more of his 
countrymen joined themselves to him. 
Some of these were great warriors, and 
David had now quite a little army imder 



LIFE OF DAVID. 153 

Jiis command. Either for the purpose of 
obtaining support for his numerous de- 
pendants, or to obey the command of God, 
that the Canaanites should be driven out 
of the land, David frequently led his men 
against the different tribes of that people 
who lived in the south of Judah. He utter- 
ly destroyed them, and brought away their 
cattle, and all their property. 

David lived in Philistia one year and 
four months. At the end of that time, the 
Philistines began to prepare for a war with 
the Israelites. Achish requested David to 
come with his men and fight for him. Now 
David was distressed, and he knew not 
what to do. He could not fight against his 
brethren and friends. He dared not re- 
fuse Achish. He gave an indirect answer, 
and Achish understood that he would go, 
and promised to make him an officer in his 
army. 



154 LIFE OF DAVID. 

Achish had chosen a favourable time to 
march against Israel. Saul had become 
very unpopular, on account of the unv^ise, 
and imprudent manner in w^hich he had 
conducted the government. 

He was proud and melancholy. He had 
spent his time and wearied out his army 
in seeking to discover, and put to death 
David, who was an innocent man, and 
one of his own obedient subjects, instead 
of trying to govern his people well, and 
defend them against their enemies. Be- 
sides, Saul, distressed by a guilty con- 
science, and fearful apprehensions, had 
lost his courage and energy. The king of 
Gath had great reason to hope for success. 
He collected a large army, and, instead of 
attacking the tribes of Judah and Benja- 
min, which bordered on Philistia, marched 
towards the northern part of the land of 
Israel. If Saul had been as brave as he once 



LIFE OF DAVID. 155 

was, I think he would have endeavour- 
ed to prevent the PhiUstines from going into 
the very midst of his country. The differ- 
ent divisions of the army of Achish passed 
on, under the command of the lords of the 
Philistines, and David and his men follow- 
ed with the king. David must have been 
in great perplexity. He probably had not 
decided what to do. If he fought against 
his brethren, he would sin against God, be 
a traitor to his country, and entirely cut 
himself off from all hope of being ever cho- 
sen king by the Israelites. 

On the other hand, if he should desert 
the Philistine army, and join the Hebrews, 
he would be guilty of great ingratitude 
and treachery towards Achish, besides ex- 
posing himself to danger from Saul. He 
had brought these evils upon himself, by 
distrusting God, and placing himself under 
the protection of a heathen prince, and a 



: 56 LIFE OF DAVID. 

foreigner. His presence in the camp of 
the PhiHstines might be known to Saul 
and Jonathan, and their officers and sol- 
diers. Saul would rejoice now that he 
could charge David with being an enemy 
to his country. And Jonathan would be 
grieved to learn that his chosen friend 
could fight against him, and the people of 
God. David probably prayed to God to 
direct and help him, and God prepared a 
way for him to escape from his painful 
situation. 

When they reached Aphek, the lords 
of the Philistines, jealous, perhaps, of the 
favour shown by their king to David, and 
suspicious of his honesty, urged Achish to 
send him back, lest he should betray them 
to the Hebrews. Achish expressed the 
utmost confidence in David, but complied 
with the wishes of the lords, and requested 
David to leave his army. David was un- 



LIFE OF DAVID. 157 

doubtedly much gratified, but he agam de- 
ceived Achish, by pretending that he did 
not wish to go. Thus he repeatedly sinned 
against God through fear of offending the 
king. And God punished him for it, as we 
shall presently see. 

On the third day after David and his 
company left the Philistines' camp, they 
reached Ziklag. There they expected to 
see their wives and children, and to rest 
themselves after their weary journey. But 
what a change ! The city lay in ruins. All 
the houses had been burned, and as they 
entered the streets, they found them silent 
and deserted. Not even a child was left to 
tell them who had done this injury. Their 
wives and children were carried away, 
and they knew not whither to go to seek 
them. Then all the people wept and la- 
mented, till they had no more power to 
weep. Anger followed grief; and at last 
O 



158 LIFE OF DAVID. 

they began to reproach David as if he had 
been the cause of their troubles. They 
talked about stoning him, which was a 
common way of putting criminals to death. 
This was very hard, when David's family 
had been carried away with the rest ; and 
he could not have prevented it. But David 
thought of God, and was comforted ; we 
may suppose such sentiments as he ex- 
presses in the hundred and forty-third 
Psalm, then occupied his mind. David 
commanded Abiathar the high priest, to 
bring the ephod. He inquired of God, 
" Shall I pursue after this troop ? Shall I 
overtake them ?" and God answered him 
"pursue: for thou shalt overtake them 
and recover all." 

This encouraged the little band of Is- 
raelites. They instantly went southward, 
as far as the brook Besor. Here two hun- 
dred of the men were so faint, from their 



LIFE OF DAVID. 159 

long marches, that they could go no far- 
ther, but the rest passed on. In a little 
time, they found a man in the field, who 
was fainting, and almost dead with hun- 
ger. They gave him food and water, and 
he revived, and was able to speak. David 
then asked him who he was. He answer- 
ed that he was a servant to an Amalekite, 
who had, three days before, left him sick 
in the fields. He had eaten nothing all 
that time. He told David that his master 
belonged to the company who had burned 
the city of Ziklag, and robbed some other 
places. He consented to conduct David 
and his men to the Amalekites. They 
went southward towards the country of 
Amalek, and soon found the company 
whom they sought. The Amalekites had 
placed no sentinels around their camp. 
They thought there was no danger, be- 
cause the Hebrews and the Philistines 



160 LIFE OF DAVID. 

were at a great distance, fighting each 
other ; and they supposed there was no 
one to disturb them. They were scattered 
over the fields, some of them eating and 
drinking, and others dancing. David found 
it easy to conquer them. He, and his 
friends took back their wives and chil- 
dren, and all the property that the Ama- 
lekites had carried away from Ziklag, and 
the other places which they had robbed. 
The Israelites went back rejoicing, driving 
before them the cattle which they had 
taken from the Amalekites. Soon they 
came to the brook of Besor, and the two- 
hundred men whom they had left there, 
came forward to meet them. David spoke 
kindly to these men. But there were some 
covetous persons in his party, who said 
that those who did not go with them, 
should not have any of the goods that had 
been recovered. David mildly reproved 



LIFE OF DAVID. 161 

these wicked men, and commanded that 
the property should be equally divided 
among all his followers. Out of part of 
the things which he had taken, David sent 
presents to some of the principal men of 
Judah, especially to those who had been 
kind to him when he was wandering 
among their mountains. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

SauVs visit to the witch of Endor, and an aC' 
count of the Battle of Gilboa. 

Soon after David was sent away by 
Achish, the Philistines removed their camp 
from Aphek to Shunem. This was seven- 
teen miles south-west of the lake of Genne- 
sareth, and about the same distance north 
of the city of Shechem. Saul had, before 
this, gathered together his army on the 
o 2 



162 LIFE OF DAVID. 

south-east from Shunem. He now removed 
and pitched his camp by the fountain of 
Jezreel, at a short distance from the Phi- 
listines. Preparations were made for a 
great battle. 

Saul was very unhappy, because God 
was angry with him. He inquired of God 
what success he should have in the battle. 
I do not know how he inquired : he could 
not do in the right way, for he had mur- 
dered most of the priests except Abiathar, 
who had fled to David. God did not an- 
swer him, or take any notice of his in- 
quiries, and Saul became greatly troubled. 
The night before the battle, he directed 
his servants to find him a woman who was 
supposed to have power to call back to 
this world, the spirits of persons who were 
dead. Saul had, before this, commanded 
that every witch in the country should be 
put to death, but his servants now inform-* 



LlFfi OF DAVID. 163 

ed him that there was one living privately 
at Endor, not very far from Saul's camp. 
** And Saul disguised himself, and put on 
other raiment, and he went, and two men 
with him, and they came to the woman 
by night : and he said, I pray thee, di- 
vine unto me by the familiar spirit, and 
bring me him up whom I shall name unto 
thee." 

The woman did not know Saul, but she 
told him that she feared he had come to 
deceive her, and betray her to the king. 
Saul promised that she should receive no 
injury. The woman then asked him whom 
he wished to be called from the dead. 
Saul answered, bring me up Samuel. The 
witch began to practise her arts, but pro- 
bably soon saw something which she did 
not expect, and which convinced her that 
the king was present. She called out in 



164 LIFE OF DAVID. 

great alarm, " why hast thou deceived me, 
for thou art Saul." 

" And the king said unto her, Be not 
afraid ; for what sawest thou ? And the 
woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascend- 
ing out of the earth. And he said unto 
her. What form is he of? And she said, 
An old man cometh up : and he is covered 
with a mantle. And Saul perceived that 
it was Samuel, a^d he stooped with his 
face to the ground, and howed himself. 
And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou 
disquieted me, to bring me up ? And Saul 
answered, I am sore distressed; for the 
Philistines make war against me, and God 
is departed from me, and answereth me no 
more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams : 
therefore I have called thee, that thou 
mayest make known unto me what I 
shall do." 

Samuel told Saul that God would punish 



LIFE OF DAVID. 165 

him for his wickedness, by permitting the 
Philistines to conquer the Israelites. He 
said that Saul and his sons would be slain 
on the next day, and that the kingdom 
would be taken from Saul's family, and 
given to David. 'V^Tien Saul heard this, he 
was much distressed. 

On the morning of the same day that 
David returned to Ziklag, with the spoils 
which he had taken from the Amalekites, 
the Hebrews and the Philistines met, and 
fought together near the fountain of Jez- 
reel. The armies were divided into differ- 
ent companies, and each company was 
commanded by a captain. Part of these 
companies were to begin to fight before 
the armies came close together. These 
were armed with bows and arrows, and 
javeUns, and slings for throwing stones. 
After them came the principal part of the 
army who were to fight more closely. 



166 LIFE Oy DAVID. 

They used spears and swords, and carried 
shields upon their left arm to protect them 
from the weapons of their enemies. It 
was common among the Hebrews for the 
priests to encourage the soldiers, and blow 
the silver trumpet just before a battle. 
But this could not now be done in Saul's 
army, because he had killed the priests. 

The Hebrews had only infantry, or foot 
soldiers, for God had forbidden them to 
own many horses, but the Philistines had 
companies of horsemen, and those who 
rode in chariots. Chariots sometimes had 
long sharp scythes extending out from the 
centre of the wheels with their sharp 
edges towards their enemies. After the 
two armies had fought a little while, the 
Israelites began to give way. They fled 
toward their former camp at Gilboa, and 
the Philistines followed with their cha- 
riots and horsemen. When they reached 



LIFK OF DAVID. IQ7 

Gilboa there was a dreadful battle. Jona- 
than was slain with his two brothers and 
a multitude of Israelites. Saul was wound- 
ed by the arrows that had been shot at 
him by the archers. He was covered with 
dust and blood, and wearied with his long 
marches. He saw the dead bodies of his 
sons and his subjects lying around him, and 
heard the shouting of the Philistines, and the 
noise of thfiir chariots. He told his armour 
bearer to draw his sword, and kill him, for 
he feared the Philistines would insult him, 
and put him to a painful death. But his 
armour bearer refused to plunge a sword 
into the bosom of his king. Then Saul 
wickedly fell upon his own sword and 
killed himself; and his armour bearer fol- 
lowed his bad example, and died with him. 
The few of the Hebrew army who re- 
mained, were scattered when their king 
died and the inhabitants of the neigh- 



168 LIFE OF DAVID. 

bouring cities left their houses, and fled 
into another part of the country, And the 
Phihstines went and lived in their cities. 
The next morning the Philistines came to 
the place where they had fought, and 
found Saul dead. They cut off his head, 
and took off his armour, and sent them into 
the country of Philistia, to be placed in 
the temples of their idols. The bodies of 
Saul and his sons they fastened to the 
walls of Bethshan, a city at a little dis- 
tance south of the lake of Gennesareth, 
near the river Jordan. This was probably 
one of the cities that the Israelites had 
deserted. It was afterwards called Scytho- 
polis. 

Jabesh Gilead was a city east of the 
river Jordan, at some distance from Beth- 
shan. When the people of that city heard 
how the bodies of their king, and his sons 
had been treated, some of the bravest of 



LIFE OF DAVID. 169 

their men, went in the night to Bethshan, 
and took the bodies of Saul and his sons 
from the wall, and brought them to Ja- 
besh Gilead, without being discovered by 
the Philistines. The people of Jabesh Gi- 
lead burned the bodies, and buried the 
bones under a tree, and fasted and mourn- 
ed seven days. Some of the ancient nations 
used always to burn the bodies of dead 
persons, and then collect their bones into 
an urn which they buried, or placed in a 
tomb. But this was not the custom of 
the Hebrews at the time of Saul's death. 
They burned the bodies of Saul and his 
sons, that the Philistines might not again 
obtain them. 

On the third day after David's return 
from fighting the Amalekites, a young 
man came to him at Ziklag, in great haste. 
His clothes were rent, and he had earth 
upon his head. These were the signs of 
P 



170 LIFE OF DAVID. 

mourning, and David asked what news lie 
brought. He replied, that the IsraeHtes 
had been conquered, and many of them 
were killed, and Saul and Jonathan were 
dead. David asked him how he knew that 
Saul and Jonathan were dead. The young 
man answered that he was upon mount 
Gilboa after the battle, and saw Saul lean- 
ing upon his spear, and the Philistine cha- 
riots and horsemen were following after 
him. He gaid that Saul caUed out to him, 
and begged he would kill him before the 
Philistines could come nearer. He told Da- 
vid that he complied with Saul's request, 
and killed him, and he gave David Saul's 
crown and bracelet which he had brought. 
The young man was an Amalekite. It is 
not known whether the story he told was 
true. He might possibly have seen Saul 
just after he had fallen upon his sword, 
when he was not quite dead, and given 



LIFE OF DAVID. 171 

him another stroke which killed him. But 
it is plain that the young man thought 
David wished so much to be king, that he 
would reward the person who should bring 
him the news of Saul's death. But he was 
mistaken. David told him that he must be 
punished for killing the man whom God 
had anointed king of Israel. And he order- 
ed him to be slain. David and all his men 
rent their clothes, and mourned and wept, 
and fasted till evening, for Saul and Jona- 
than, and the people who were slain with 
them. And David, unmindful of past 
injuries, wrote this beautiful elegy, which, 
probably, has no equal in any language. 

The glory of Israel is slain upon the high places 

How are the mighty fallen ! 

Tell it not in Gath, 

Publish it not in the streets of Askelon ; 

Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice 

Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 

Ye mountains of Gilboa, 

Let no dew nor rain fall upon you ; 



172 LIFE OF DAVID. 

Let your fields yield no offerings ; 

For there was thrown away the shield of the mighty, 

The shield of Saul, as if it had not been anointed 
with oil. 

From the blood of the wounded, 

From the strength of the mighty, 

The bow of Jonathan turned not back, 

The sword of Saul returned not in vain. 

Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their 
lives, 

In their death they were not divided 

They were swifter than eagles. 

They were stronger than lions. 

Ye daughters of Israel, lament for Saul, 

Who clothed you in scarlet and splendour ; 

Who adorned your garments with golden embroi- 
dery. 

How are the mighty fallen. 

Jonathan falls in the midst of battle, 

He dies on thy high places. 

I am distressed for thee my brother Jonathan, 

Greatly did I love thee : 

Thy love for me was wonderful, 

Greater than the love of women. 

How are the mighty fallen. 

And their weapons of war perished. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 173 

CHAPTER XIX. 

David chosen Icing of Judah. 

As Saul was now dead, David expected 
that the IsraeHtes would choose him for 
their king. But he would not even leave 
Ziklag, and go into his own country, with- 
out asking direction from God. He in- 
quired of God whether he should go into 
any of the cities of Judah, and God told 
him to go to Hebron. So David went there 
with his family, and all his men with their 
families went with him. Hebron was in a 
beautiful plain in the middle of the tribe 
of Judah, about seventeen miles south of 
Bethlehem. It was a very old city, and 
had formerly been called Kirjath-arba. 
Abraham, who w^as the father of all the 
Israelites, had once lived in a grove of Te- 
rebinth trees, which was near this city, 
p 2 



174 LIFE OF DAVID. 

His tent was pitched under one of those 
large trees, and the tents of his family and 
servants were pitched around him. He 
had a multitude of cattle and sheep that 
fed in the rich pastures of the plain of 
Mamre. North of Hebron was a pool, and 
a pleasant stream. David had not been 
here long, before the chief men of the tribe 
of Judah met at Hebron, and anointed him 
king over their tribe. As soon as David 
was king over Judah, he sent to the people 
of Jabesh Gilead, though they lived a great 
way off, on the other side of the river Jor- 
dan, to thank them for the kindness they 
had shown to the bodies of Saul and his 
sons. It gratified the people to have him 
show so much respect to their former king. 
But the other tribes of Israel did not yet 
choose David for their king, because that 
one of Saul's sons was alive, whose name 
was Ishbosheth. Abner, Saul's cousin, and 



LIFE OF DAVID. 175 

the general of his armies, determined that 
Ishbosheth should be king, though he had 
a weak mind, and was not fit to govern the 
people. But Abner had great talents, and 
was very ambitious, and he thought that 
he could govern for Ishbosheth, and be al- 
most a king himself. So he took Ishbo- 
sheth over the Jordan to Mahanaim, near 
the river Jabbok, in Gilead, and the chiefs 
of all the tribes of Israel, except the tribe 
of Judah, met there, and made him their 
king. 

When David began to reign over the 
tribe of Judah, he was thirty years old. 
He reigned two years in Hebron before 
there was any war between him and Ish- 
bosheth. Then Abner came with an army 
to Gib eon, in Benjamin, to fight against Ju- 
dah, and make them submit to Ishbosheth. 
David sent out an army to meet him, uu- 
der the command of Joab, his nephew. 



176 LIFE OF DAVID. 

There was a great battle, in which Joab 
gained the victory, but his brother Asahel 
was killed. After this there was a long w^ar 
of five years and a half, between David and 
Ishbosheth. At last, Abner found that 
David was very successful, and had great 
influence with the people, and he deter- 
mined not to oppose him any longer. He 
wickedly deserted Ishbosheth, and went 
to David, and promised to bring all the 
tribes of Israel to acknowledge him as 
king. After talking with David, he went 
away, intending to do this. But Joab was 
angry at Abner, for killing his brother 
Asahel, and was, perhaps, afraid that if 
Abner came into the service of David, he 
would be as great a man in the army as 
himself. He sent for Abner to come back 
to Hebron, and took him aside by the gate 
of the city, pretending that he wished to 
speak with him privately, and there mur- 



LIFE OF DAVID. 177 

dered him. David disapproved of Joab's 
conduct, but dared not punish him, be- 
cause he had so much influence with the 
army. When Ishbosheth heard that Abner 
v^as dead, he was troubled. All his friends 
were discouraged because they had lost 
their leader. Two of the captains of 
Ishbosheth determined to murder him, 
thinking that they should in that way, 
gain favour with David. They went into 
his chamber, as he lay upon his bed at 
noon, and killed him, and carried his head 
to David. They supposed that David 
w^ould reward them for their cruelty. 
But he ordered them to be put to death. 



178 LIFE OF DAVID. 

CHAPTER XX. 

David chosen King of all Israel, 

Soon after this, the heads of the tribes, 
and all the chief officers of Israel, came to 
Hebron to anoint David king over the 
whole country. And many companies of 
soldiers, from each of the diiSerent tribes, 
marched to Hebron, to assist at the cere- 
mony. They all remained three days 
with David, feasting and rejoicing. 

We may now see the reason why God 
had caused David to pass through so many 
trials. It was to make him more pious, 
and wise, and prudent, that he might be a 
suitable king for the Israelites. Though 
they had been several hundred years in 
their country, they had never yet been in 
a quiet, settled state. It had been the com- 
mand of God, that the Canaanites should 



LIFE OF DAVID 179 

be driven entirely out of the land ; but 
there were still many cities in their pos- 
session. The Israelites were often obliged to 
fight with them, and with other nations in 
the neighbourhood. Sometimes the different 
tribes of the Hebrews would fight with one 
another ; and there had been a great deal 
of war and confusion in the country. God 
had given the people a law, but they were 
not in a situation to obey every part of it. 
They needed a king to conquer their ene- 
mies, and to unite them all together, and 
to govern them by the laws which God 
gave to Moses. They also needed a king, 
who would prepare a place where they 
might all meet together, and worship God ; 
for the people had become very inattentive 
to their duties towards God, during the 
latter part of Saul's reign. God had cho- 
sen David, and prepared him to be such a 
king. 



180 LIFE or DAVID. 

There was a city on the northern boun- 
dary of Judah, and the southern boundary 
of Benjamin, which was still possessed by 
the Jebusites, one of the tribes of the Ca- 
naanites. It had formerly been called Sa- 
lem, but was now called Jebus. David 
afterwards called it Jerusalem. He wanted 
this place, to make it the capital city of 
the land of Israel. It was, besides, his 
duty to drive away the Canaanites. Ac- 
cordingly, he determined to endeavour to 
take this city. The Jebusites had built a 
strong fort on mount Zion, which was in 
the south-western part of the city, and 
there were many armed men in the fort. 
It was dangerous to go against the fort, 
because the men who defended it were 
brave ; but Joab led a company of men up 
to it, and they fought against the Jebusites, 
and gained a victory. David then made 
Joab the general of the Hebrew army. 



LIFE OF DAVID, 181 

David soon went with his family and 
attendants to live at Jerusalem. It was a 
fine city. It was afterwards very large, 
and was built on several hills ; mount 
Zion on the south-west, mount Moriah, on 
the south-east, and mount Acra, on the 
north-west. South of the city was the val- 
ley of Hinnom. On the east was the 
mount of Olives, a beautiful mountain, 
with three peaks, covered with olive trees. 
The valley of Jehoshaphat lay between 
the mount of Olives, and the city, and the 
brook Kedron ran from north to south 
through the valley. David built a palace 
for himself on mount Zion, I think it was 
very splendid. It was built around a large 
court, paved with marble. Perhaps there 
was a fountain in the centre of the court 
with tall palm trees growing around it. 
And I suppose it had pleasant porticos 
facing the court, and a flat roof, with seats 

a 



182 LIFE OF DAVID. 

and walks upon it : for this was the com- 
mon way of building houses in that coun- 
try. David had many sons, and he built 
houses for them all on mount Zion ; and 
that part of the city became very hand- 
some and populous. 

As soon as the Philistines heard that the 
Israelites were united under a king, they 
sent their armies into the country. But 
David with his soldiers met and conquered 
them. Once more they came to fight with 
David, but God helped him again to con- 
quer, and drive them out of the country. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Removal of the Ark, 

Davii> began to think of having the ark 
of God brought to Jerusalem. The Ark of 
the Covenant was a box, about three feet 



LIFE OF DAVID. 183 

and a half long, two feet and a half broad, 
and two feet and a half high. It was made 
of wood, covered all over with gold. The 
lid was made of pure gold, and was called 
the mercy seat. In the ark were two ta- 
bles of stone, upon which w^ere wTitten the 
ten commandments that God gave to 
Moses. On the ark, at each end of it, 
stood two golden cherubim, spreading out 
their wings, and leaning over the mercy 
seat, as if to look into the ark. The Holy 
of Holies, or the inner part of the taber- 
nacle, was the place for the ark. . But 
many years before, w^hen the Israelites 
were fighting with the Philistines, they 
took the ark from the tabernacle, and car- 
ried it into the army. The Philistines were 
victorious, and obtained possession of the 
ark, and placed it in the temple of one of 
their idols. But God punished them so se- 
verely, that they soon sent it back to the 



184 LIFE OF DAVID. 

Hebrews. It was carried to Kirjath-jea- 
rim, a city in the north-west part of Ju-i 
dah, where it had remained ever since. 
Kirjath-jearim was not far from Jerusa- 
lem. David determined to go thither, and 
bring the ark to mount Zion, where he 
had prepared a tabernacle to place it in. 

He gathered together thirty thousand of 
the principal people of the country, and 
they went to the house of Abinadab, on a 
hill in Kirjath-jearim, and brought out 
the ark. They placed it on a cart, drawn 
by oxen, and Uzzah and Ahio, the two 
sons of Abinadab, drove the cart. This 
was not the right way. God had command- 
ed that the Levites should carry the ark, 
by taking hold of the golden staves that 
were fastened to it. They were not per- 
mitted to touch it, because it was very sa- 
cred. David and the rest of the Hebrews 
had not sufficiently studied the law of 



LIFE OF DAVID. 185 

God, before they attempted to remove the 
ark. They went a httle way, playing on 
instruments of music, and perhaps singing 
parts of the sixty-eighth Psalm, which Da- 
vid had written. But soon the oxen shook 
the cart, and • the ark was in danger of 
falling. Uzzah put out his hand, and took 
hold of it, and God punished him by in- 
stantly striking him dead. Then David 
was afraid, and dared not bring the ark 
any further. He carried it into the house 
of Obed-edom, which was near, and sent 
all the people home. The ark remained 
there three months, in the house of Obed- 
edom. 

David heard that God had blessed the 
family of Obed-edom ever since the ark had 
been with them. This encouraged him to 
make another attempt to bring it to Jeru- 
salem. Again he sent, and collected to- 
gether a great multitude from every part 
Q 2 



186 LIFE OF DAVID. 

of the country. Presently, a long and joyful 
procession was seen moving from the house 
of Obed-edom, towards Jerusalem. They 
had gone but a few steps, when David 
commanded them to stop, and the priests 
offered sacrifices to God. The ark was 
borne on the shoulders of the Kohathites, 
one of the families of the Levites. Large 
companies of Levites, who were singers, 
went before, followed by other companies 
of Levites, who played on all kinds of mu- 
sical instruments. Then came a multitude 
who were collected from every part of the 
land to do honour to the ark of God. 
There were the princes of the different 
tribes, with dignified and thoughtful coun- 
tenances, the grey-haired elders, and mili- 
tary officers, who were accustomed to com- 
mand. As they passed on towards Jeru- 
salem, the hills and valleys rang and 
echoed with their songs of joy. The priests 



LIFE OF DAVID. 187 

blew the silver trumpets, the Levites 
played on their harps and psalteries, and 
cymbals, and several songs of praise, which 
David had written, were sung. At last 
they came in sight of mount Zion ; its 
walls and palaces glittering in the sun. As 
they went up the mountain, it is supposed 
that they sung the twenty-fourth Psalm ; 
the different choirs answering each othen. 

1st Choir. — Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, 
And who shall stand in his holy place 7 

2d Choir. — He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, 
Who hath not inclined his soul to falsehood, 
Nor sworn deceitfully. 

When they came to the gates of the ta- 
bernacle that king David had prepared for 
the ark, the Levites probably separated 
into two choirs, and the ark was carried in 
between them, while they sang. 

Both Choirs. — Lift up your heads, O ye gates ! 
And be ye lift up ye everlasting doors ; 
And the King of Glory shall enter. 



188 LIFE OF DAVID. 

1st Choir. — Who is this King of Glory 1 
2d Choih. — Jehovah, strong and mighty ; 

Jehovah mighty in battle. 
Both Choirs. — Lift up your heads, O ye gates ! 

And be ye lift up ye everlasting doors ; 

And the King of Glory shall enter. 
1st Choir. — Who is this King of Glory 1 
2d Choir. — The Lord of Hosts, he is the King of 
Glory. 

When the ark was in its place, David 
hjessed all the people, and distributed re- 
freshments among them. And he com- 
manded the Levites to sing the hundred 
and fifth Psalm in praise to God. Then 
the people separated, and went to their 
homes. King David appointed four thou- 
sand Levites to be continually employed 
in singing praises to God, and playing on 
musical instruments before the tabernacle. 
They were divided into companies under 
the direction of Asaph, Heman, and Jedu- 
thun. 

As soon as David was quietly settled, he 



tlFE OF DAVID. 189 

wished to build a house for the worship of 
God, which should be larger, and more 
convenient than the tabernacle. He asked 
the advice of Nathan the prophet, and 
Nathan advised him to do it. But that 
very night, God spoke to Nathan, and gave 
him a message to David. God said that he 
did not wish David to build him a house ; 
but still that he would bleiss him, and bless 
the people of Israel. He said that one of 
David's sons, who should be king after Da- 
vid was dead, might build a temple for 
God. God then made many promises to 
David and his family. David thanked God 
for these promised, and wrote several 
Psalms. It is supposed that the eleventh, 
fortj'^-fifth, twenty-second, sixteenth, eigh- 
teenth, and hundred and tenth Psalms 
were written about this time. 



190 LIFE OF DAVID. * 

CHAPTER XXIL 

David* s wars, and hozv he governed his 
kingdom. 

After this, David had many wars with 
the people who Hved in the countries 
about Palestine. He fought with the Phi- 
listines who lived south-west of Israel, and 
with the Edomites, the descendants of 
Esau, who lived in the south. He also 
fought with the Moabites and Ammonites, 
in the east, and with the Syrians, north- 
east of Palestine, whose capital city was 
Damascus. All these people he conquered, 
and made them bring him many rich pre- 
sents, which is called paying tribute. The 
silver, and brass, and gold, which the king 
took from the people whom he had con- 
quered, he laid up for the temple which 
MiS son was to build. It is supposed that 



LIFE OF DAVID. 191 

David wrote the sixtieth, and hundred and 
eighth Psalms, as well as the twentieth 
and twenty-first, after his victories. 

Now David was very rich and powerful, 
and the Israelites were feared and respect- 
ed by all their neighbours. Joab and Abi- 
shai, were brave generals, and David had 
many great officers about him. Joab was 
commander in chief of the army, Jehosha- 
phat was chief judge, Abiathar was high 
priest, and Seraiah was secretary of state. 
Benaiah commanded the Cherethites and 
Pelethites, which were the king's guards. 
As David's sons became old enough, they 
also helped him to rule the people. 

David then remembered his friendship 
for Jonathan, and the covenant they had 
made together. He inquired if any of 
Jonathan's family were alive, and was told 
that Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan, who 
was lame, was living in retirement on the 



192 LIFE OF DAVID. 

eastern side of the river Jordan. The king 
sent for him, and treated him with great 
kindness. He gave him all Saul's proper- 
ty, and invited him to eat constantly at 
the king's table. Ziba, who had been a 
servant of Saul, was commanded to wait 
upon Mephibosheth, and to cultivate his 
land. All Ziba's children were servants to 
Mephibosheth. After this, Mephibosheth 
lived at Jerusalem, and sat every day at 
the table with the king, in his palace on 
mount Zion. 

David reigned forty years over the Is- 
raelites. The people had never been so 
happy before. The Canaanites were con- 
quered and submitted to be ruled by Da- 
vid. All the neighbouring countries were 
afraid of him, because he was a great 
warrior. Every morning and evening the 
smoke of sacrifices rose from the altar on 
mount Zion, and from the altar which 



LIFE OF DAVID. 193 

stood before the tabernacle of Moses, at 
Gibeon. There songs of praise to God were 
heard from the choirs of Levites, accompa- 
nied by the sound of instruments, the harp, 
the psaltery, and the cymbal, making loud 
and cheerful music. David wrote many 
Psalms to be sung at the worship of the 
tabernacle, and some others, which we 
may suppose he sung himself, as he sat 
alone upon the flat roof of his palace, and 
looked out upon the beautiful towers and 
busy streets, and pleasant gardens of Je- 
rusalem. All the people in the country 
could then go up to Jerusalem three times 
a year to worship God, as God had com- 
manded, without any fear that their ene- 
mies would destroy their cities and villages 
during their absence. Every man planted 
his corn, and pruned his olive trees, and 
trained his vines, and then gathered in his 

harvest with great joy. 
• R 



194 LIFE OF DAVID. 

But though David was so much blessed, 
and was called the " man after God's own 
heart," or the " beloved of the Lord," yet 
he sometimes forgot the kindness of his 
heavenly Father. He neglected his duty, 
and began to love himself too much, till at 
last he committed some dreadful sins. 

We should not have expected this of 
David, but he was, in himself, Hke other 
men, naturally disposed to do wrong, and 
easily overcome by temptation. He had 
long been accustomed to govern others, 
and to act as he pleased himself. This 
often makes people proud and wilful, and 
selfish. As David was exposed to uncom- 
mon temptations, he should have been un- 
commonly watchful, and have constantly 
prayed to God to keep him from sin. But it 
is to be feared that, for a time, he forgot to 
do this. — The kings in eastern countries 
are accustomed to have more wives than 



LIFE OF DAVID. 1 95 

one, and David had already begun to imi- 
tate them, though it was wrong to do so. 
There was a beautiful woman, the wife of 
Uriah, an officer in his army, whom David 
wished to add to the number of his wives. 
But as she was a married woman, he did 
not dare to disobey the law so far as to 
make her his wife, while her husband was 
alive. David had begun to sin, by breaking 
the tenth commandment, which forbids us 
to wish for any thing that belongs to ano- 
ther, or which it is improper for us to 
have. He now went on to conduct more 
and more wickedly. Uriah had gone with 
the army of David to fight against the Am- 
monites. David sent for him, and gave him 
a letter to carry back to Joab, the general. 
In this letter, he directed Joab to put 
Uriah in the front of the battle, and then 
leave him, so that he would certainly be 
killed. Thus David was guilty of causing 



196 LIFE OF DAVID. 

to be murdered, one of the best and bravest 
of his officers. Joab obeyed the orders of 
the king ; Uriah was killed, and Bathsheba 
became the wife of David. 

Though David had sinned so greatly, 
God did not entirely cast him off, but sent 
Nathan the prophet, to convince him of 
his guilt. By the command of God, who 
had seen all that David had done, and 
knew every thought of his heart, Nathan 
now came to the king, and said, " There 
were two men in one city ; the one rich, 
and the other poor. The rich man had 
exceeding many flocks and herds : But the 
poor man had nothing save one little ewe- 
lamb, which he had brought and nourish- 
ed up ; and it grew up together with him, 
and with his children ; it did eat of his 
ow^n meat, and drank of his own cup, and 
lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a 
daughter. And there came a traveller 



LIFE OF DAVID. 197 

unto the rich man, and he spared to take 
of his own flock and of his own herd, to 
dress for the way-faring man that was 
come unto him ; but took the poor man's 
lamb, and dressed it for the man that was 
come to him." 

David was very angry at the conduct of 
the rich man ; and he said, " As the Lord 
liveth, the man that hath done this thing 
shall surely die. And he shall restore the 
Iamb four-fold, because he did this thing, 
and because he had no pity." 

The prophet had told David this para- 
ble or story, to show him the wickedness 
of his own conduct, and bring him to ac- 
knowledge it, when he supposed he was 
condemning another person. ''Nathan now 
said to David, thou art the man." He then 
repeated the many blessings which God 
had bestowed upon David, and reproved 
him for his ingratitude and wickedness in 
R 2 



198 LIFE OF DAVID. 

committing such dreadful sins. The king 
was struck to the heart, and said, I have 
sinned against the Lord. He went into his 
closet and knelt before God, and prayed to 
him in the words of the fifty-first Psalm. 
Perhaps he offered the same prayer in the 
tabernacle. 

God forgave David's sin, and. gave him 
his Holy Spirit to comfort him, and help 
him to live better in future. But as it was 
known to the people that he had been 
wicked, and disobeyed God, it was right 
that they should see him punished for it ; 
that they might know that God hates sin, 
and will bring evil upon those who com- 
mit it. 

David's infant child was immediately 
taken ill ; and David fasted, and lay all 
night upon the earth, praying to God, for 
he knew that it was on account of his own 
sins, that God had afflicted the child. On 



LIFE OF DAVID. 199 

the seventh day the child died, and his 
friends thought it would break the heart 
of the father. But David had returned to 
his duty, and acted with reason. He felt 
that God was just in taking away his 
child, and that he was punished far less 
than he deserved. He arose from his deep 
affliction, and his servants were amazed. 
They said to him, ** What thing is this 
that thou hast done T Thou didst fast and 
weep for the child, while it was alive ; but 
when the child was dead, thou didst rise 
and eat bread. And he said, while the 
child was yet alive, I fasted, and wept : for 
I said, who can tell whether God will be 
gracious to me, that the child may live ? 
But now he is dead, wherefore should I 
fast ? can I bring him back again ? I shall 
go to him, but he shall not return to me." 
Thus should we think of our dear 
friends who die, if we have reason to hope 



200 LIFE OF DAVID. 

that they have gone to God. David by this 
clearly shows that he understood a future 
state of existence in another world ; and 
that he, Hke Abraham, looked for another 
city, whose builder and maker is God. 



CHAPTER XXIIL 

Story of Absalom. 

David was still further punished for his 
sins, by the bad conduct of one of his sons. 
He found it more difficult to make them do 
right, because he had in one instance, set 
them a wicked example. His third son 
was called Absalom. He was a handsome 
young man, of pleasing manners, and quite 
artful. He was also very selfish and am- 
bitious, and like many young persons, who 
have been too much indulged, gave a great 
deal of trouble to his friends. At last, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 201 

when his father was beginning to be old, 
Absalom thought he would try to be king 
himself. So he sought in many ways to 
please the people, and to make them like 
him better than they did his father. All 
the courts were held near the gates of the 
city, where convenient spaces were left, 
and seats placed for the judges. Absalom 
used to rise early in the morning, and go 
to the gates ; and when any man came to 
have a cause tried by the judges, Absalom 
would ask him many questions, and pre- 
tend to be much interested in his affairs. 
He would flatter the man, and tell him 
that his cause was right, but that the king 
would not do him justice. Then he would 
say, I wish I was judge, then every man's 
business should be attended to. When any 
man came near to bow down before Absa- 
lom, which was proper, because he was 
the king's son, and one of the princes of 



202 LIFE OF DAVID. 

the landj Absalom would hold out his hand 
to him, and kiss him. In such ways this 
wicked young man persuaded many of the 
people that he was their friend, and would 
make them a better king than his father. 
He sent men privately into every part of 
the country to endeavour to persuade the 
people to receive him for their king. After 
he had become very popular, he asked the 
king's permission to go to Hebron, pretend- 
ing that he wished to worship God there. 
The king told him that he might go. 
When he arrived at Hebron, he sent for 
all his friends, and began to raise an army 
to go to Jerusalem, and fight against his 
father. 

When David heard that his beloved son 
Absalom w^ished to kill him, and to seize 
upon his kingdom, he was much distressed. 
It was so painful to fight with his son, and 
so difficult to raise an army immediately, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 203 

that he determined not to try to defend 
Jerusalem, but to make his escape. He left 
Jerusalem with his family. His guards also 
went with him, and some other soldiers, 
and many of the people who were his 
friends. They went into the valley east of 
Jerusalem, and crossed the brook Kedron. 
The priests and Levites were there with 
the ark of God, which they expected to 
carry with the king. But David command- 
ed ihe priests to carry back the ark to the 
tabernacle, for he did not wish to expose it 
to danger, and he hoped again to return 
to Jerusalem, and worship God in the 
Holy place. The priests returned with the 
ark, and David and his company went up 
the mount of Olives, on their way towards 
the river Jordan. It was a sad and mourn- 
ful procession. David, and the people who 
were with him, as they went up the mount 
with slow and solemn steps, wept, covering 



204 LIFE OF DAVID. 

their heads for grief. David knew that it 
was to punish him for his sins, that God 
had permitted his son to be so wicked and 
ungrateful. He was sorry for his sins, and 
confessed them to God. But he trusted 
that God would deliver him. About this 
time he composed the hundred and 
eleventh Psalm. 

When the king came to Bahurim, a 
man by the name of Shimei, came out of 
the city, and threw stones at him, using 
very insulting language. Abishai, one of 
the chief officers, wished to punish Shimei, 
and said to David, " let me go over, I pray 
thee, and take off his head. But David 
would not suffer him to do it He thought 
of his own rebellious son, and said, " be- 
hold, my own son seeks my life, how much 
more this Benjamite. Let him alone, let 
him curse. It may be the Lord will look 
on my affliction, and requite me good for 



LIFE OF DAVID. 206 

his cursing this day." David then com- 
posed the seventh Psalm. 

When David left Jerusalem, Absalom 
entered it as king. Ahithophel one of the 
w^isest of David's counsellors, had joined 
himself to Absalom, and was ready to give 
him all the aid in his power. David was 
much distressed when he heard of this. 
He had loved Ahithophel as a friend, and 
respected him as a counsellor, and had un- 
doubtedly shown him much kindness. To 
be thus ungratefully deserted, in his old 
age, by one whom he had trusted, deeply 
wounded the heart of David. He expressed 
his feelings in the following lines — " For it 
was not an enemy that reproached me ; 
then I could have borne it : neither was it 
he that hated me that did magnify himself 
against me ; then I would have hid myself 
from him : but it was thou, a man mine 
equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 
S 



206 LIFE OF DAVID. 

We took sweet counsel together, and 
walked unto the house of God in com- 
pany." 

David knew that if Absalom was left to 
himself, and the rash counsels of the young 
men who were with him, he might not act 
prudently. But Ahithophel's advice and 
influence would, perhaps, help him to con- 
quer his father, and establish himself in the 
kingdom. But David put his trust in God. 
His prayer was, O Lord, turn the counsel 
of Ahithophel into foolishness. When Da- 
vid reached the top of the mount of Olives, 
where he worshipped God, he was over- 
taken by one of his counsellors, whose 
name was Hushai, a citizen of Archi, a 
town of Ephraim. Hushai had rent his 
clothes, and thrown earth upon his head — 
the common way among the Hebrews of 
showing sorrow. He meant to accompany 
David in his exile from Jerusalem. But 



LIFE OF DAVID. 207 

David forbade this. As Hushai was a wise 
man, David told him to go back to Absa- 
lom, mingle among his counsellors, and en- 
deavour to prevent AhithophePs advice 
from being followed. Hushai returned to 
the city, and found the advice of Ahitho- 
phel to be, to pursue at once the small 
wearied company of David with twelve 
thousand chosen men; and thus speedily 
to end the civil war. 

If Absalom had followed this advice, he 
would certainly have succeeded. But he 
asked the opinion of Hushai, who had 
just come from the camp of his father. 
Hushai said, the counsel of Ahithophel 
v/as not good, because that David and 
his men were now in the highest state of 
rage and despair, and, having retreated 
to some cave, they would fight like a bear 
robbed of her whelps ; and that if a few 
of Absalom's men should be killed at 



208 LIFE OF DAVID. 

this time, it would cause a report that he 
was conquered, and discourage the people 
from acknowledging him as king. Hushai, 
to flatter the foolish vanity of the prince, 
advised him to w^ait till he could gather to- 
gether all the men of Israel, and go with a 
great multitude to attack his father. And 
if king David should be found in a city, the 
whole army of Absalom might carry ropes, 
and draw the city into the river, till there 
was not one stone left. This advice Absa- 
lom was so foolish as to prefer to the coun- 
sel of Ahithophel ; for the Lord had deter- 
mined to save the life of David, and bring 
ruin upon Absalom. Hushai now wished 
to inform David of Absalom's plans, and 
urge him to flee over Jordan that night. 
He employed Jonathan and Ahimaaz, the 
sons of Zadok and Abiathar, priests of 
God. They were lads in whom he could 
trust, for they feared God, and were brave 



LIFE OF DAVID. 209 

enough to go on this dangerous errand. By- 
means of a young woman the message was 
given to the lads. A boy saw them, how- 
ever, and told Absalom, who caused them 
to be followed. They fled to the house oT 
a faithful friend of David, whose wife hid 
them in a well that was in the court. She 
put a covering over the well, and spread 
corn upon it as if to dry. The soldiers of 
Absalom could not find them, and returned. 
The lads escaped from the well, and went 
on their dangerous journey to the camp of 
David, and told him all that had hap- 
pened. David and his men hastened to pass 
over the Jordan, and when the morning 
dawned, not one of them was left on the 
western side of the river 

After a long and weary march they 

came to Mahanaim in Gilead. This was 

not very far from Jabesh-Gilead, where 

Saul and Jonathan were buried. As soon 

s 2 



SIO LIFE or DAVID. 

as David arrived, some of the rich men in 
the neighbourhood, remembering SauPs 
kindness to them, came and brought pro- 
visions for himself and his army. One of 
these was an old man of Gilead, named 
Barzillai. Here, among the balsam groves 
of Gilead, near the foot of mount Hermon, 
David wrote the following beautiful lines. 
As he watched the deer coming from dif- 
ferent parts of the land to drink of the pure 
springs that gushed out from the sides of 
the mountains, he compared the thirst 
which they felt, to his own longing desire 
to return to Jerusalem. 

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, 

So panteth my soul after thee, O God ! 

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God ; 

When shall I come, and appear before God 1 

My tears have been my meat day and night, 

While they continually say unto m»^ Where is thy 

God] 
When I remember these things, I pour out my soul 



LIFE OF DAVID. 2H 

t'oT I had gone with the multitude, I went with 

them to the house of God. 
With the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude 

that kept holy day. 
Why art thou cast down, O my soul 1 
And why art thou disquieted in me ! 
Hope thou in God ; 
For I shall yet praise him, 
For the help of his countenance. 

Several other Psalms are supposed* to have 
been written at the same time. 

Ahithophel was angry and mortified that 
his wise counsel was rejected, and the fool- 
ish advice of Hushai followed. He foresaw 
that Absalom would not succeed, and he 
could expect no favour to himself, if David 
was restored to his city and kingdom. 
Thus disappointed of all his ambitious 
hopes, he went to his house at Giloh, and 
hanged himself. 

Soon after this, a battle was fought be- 
tween Absalom's soldiers, and the soldiers 
of David, in the wood of Ephraim, near 



212 LIFE OF DAVID. 

Mahanaim. Absalom commanded his 
troops himself: but David's men would 
not suffer their king to go out with them. 
They feared that he would be killed, and 
that the Israelites would be left without 
any suitable person to govern them. Three 
generals commanded David's army, Joab, 
and Abishai, and Ittai. David stood by the 
gate of the city, and examined his troops 
as they marched out in companies before 
him. When they were ready to depart, 
David spoke to his three generals in the 
hearing of the whole army, and told them, 
for his sake, to deal gently with his son Ab- 
salom. The people then went to the wood 
of Ephraim to meet Absalom, and very 
soon gained a great victory over him and 
his men. Twenty thousand of Absalom's 
men were killed. 

As Absalom was riding on a mule, he 
passed under an oak, and the branches of 



LIFE OF DAVID. 213 

the oak caught him up by his head, and he 
was left hanging in the air. Joab heard 
where he was, and notwithstanding the 
commands of David, went and killed him. 
Then Joab blew a trumpet to call, the 
people together, and sent a messenger to 
tell David the news. 

Ahimaaz, one of the young men who 
had carried the message from Hushai, 
begged Joab to let him go and inform Da- 
vid of the victory. Joab refused at first, 
not liking to make him the bearer of such 
painful news to David, as the death of his 
son ; but as Ahimaaz was urgent in his re- 
quest, Joab at last suffered him to go. Ahi- 
maaz ran swiftly along the road, and out- 
ran the other messenger. Finding David 
sitting at the gate of the city, he told him 
that Joab had gained a victory. The king 
said, *' is the young man Absalom safe ?'' 
Ahimaaz answered, that he had seen a 



214 LIFE OF DAVID. 

good deal of confusion among the oflicers 
and soldiers, but did not know the cause. 
The other messenger soon came up, and 
David heard of the death of Absalom. He 
was much moved, and went up to the 
chamber over the gate and wept : and as 
he went, he said, O my son Absalom, my 
son, my son Absalom ! would God I had 
died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son ! 

The joy which the people felt at gaining 
a victory, was quickly turned into mourn- 
ing, when they heard how much David 
was grieved at the death of Absalom. 
They returned silently into the city, as if 
they were ashamed, w^hile the king la- 
mented aloud, O Absalom, my son, my son ! 

Joab went in to see the king, and told 
him that if he mourned so much for one 
who was his enemy, and treated his friends 
with so much neglect, it would not be 
strange if his people should leave him, and 



LIFE OF DAVID. 215 

choose some one else to be their king. He 
urged the king to go down to the gate, and 
see the people who had come in from the 
battle. The king complied, and took his 
seat at the gate, where he received the 
visits of his officers and soldiers. 

David sent a kind address to the people 
of the tribe of Judah, and they all invited 
him to return to Jerusalem, and be again 
king over Israel. They came to Gilgal to 
meet him, and he went with them over 
the Jordan. On his way to Jerusalem, he 
was met by Shimei, who had insulted and 
abused him when he fled from Absalom. 
Shimei confessed his sin, and entreated Da- 
vid to forgive him. Abishai advised that 
Shimei should be slain; but David said 
that no man should be put to death on the 
day that he was restored to his kingdom/ 
He promised Shimei that he should receive 
no injury. 



216 



LIFE or DAVID. 




A very affecting scene took place after 
David had crossed the river Jordan. It 
was the parting of the king with his friend 
Barzillai, the Gileadite. He had provided 
for the king and his soldiers all that they 
needed, when they were at Mahanaim. 
Though he was eighty years old, he had 
come thus far with David on his journey. 

" And the king said unto Barzillai, come 



LIFE OF DAVID. 217 

thou over with me, and I will feed thee 
with me in Jerusalem. And Barzillai said 
unto the king, How long have I to live, 
that I should go up with the king unto Je- 
rusalem? I am this day fourscore years 
old : and can I discern between good and 
evil ? can thy servant taste what I eat or 
what I drink ? can I hear any more the 
voice of singing-men and singing women ? 
wherefore then should thy servant be yet 
a burden unto my lord the king ? Thy ser- 
vant will go a little way over Jordan with 
the king : and why should the king recom- 
pense it me with such a reward '? Let thy 
servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that 
I may die in mine own city, and be buried 
by the grave of my father and of my mo- 
ther : but behold thy servant, Chimham ; 
let him go over with my lord the king, 
and do to him what shall seem good unto 
thee. And the king answered, Ghimham 



218 LIFE OF DAVID. 

shall go over with me, and I will do to him 
that which shall seem good unto thee : and 
whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that 
will I do for thee." 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Solomon chosen to be King after David, 

David lived to be seventy years old, and 
if several of his children had not been un- 
grateful and disobedient, he would have 
been very happy. But these trials helped 
to make him humble and submissive ; and 
amidst all his sorrows he loved and praised 
God. 

God told David that his son Solomon 
must be king after he was dead. But Ado- 
nijah, David's eldest son, was displeased 
that his younger brother should be pre- 
ferred before himself. So when David was 



LIFE OP DAVID. 219 

old and unable to go out, Adonijah invited 
all his brothers except Solomon, with Joab 
and Abiathar, and many of the chief men, 
to a feast. There they attempted to make 
Adonijah king ; but the people would not 
acknowledge any one as king, until they 
knew whom David had chosen for his succes- 
sor. When David heard what was passing, 
he commanded Benaiah, the captain of his 
guards, and Zadok the priest, and Nathan 
the prophet, to take Solomon into a public 
place in the city, and there anoint him as 
king. They did so, and all the people 
shouted with great joy, " God save king 
Solomon." It was now understood that 
Solomon reigned with his father, and that 
he would build a temple when David was 
dead. David employed himself during the 
latter part of his life in collecting together 
such things as would be wanting for the 
temple. He laid aside gold and silver, and 



220 LIFE OF DAVID. 

iron, and brass, and wood, and precious 
stones in abundance. 

Shortly before his death he called toge- 
ther the people, and told them how many 
things he had prepared. As Solomon was 
young and tender, and it was a great work 
to build the temple, he requested them to 
give what materials they could spare for 
the purpose. The people came forward wil- 
lingly, and brought large gifts, which were 
carefully laid up till Solomon was ready to 
build the temple. Then David thanked 
and blessed God, and all the people re- 
joiced. Probably the seventy-second Psalm 
was sung at this time. 

Give the king thy judgments, O God, 
And thy righteousness unto the king's son : 
He shall judge thy people with righteousness, 
And thy poor with judgment. 
The mountains shall declare peace to the people, 
And the hills announce righteousness. 
They shall fear thee, as long as the sun and raoou 
endure, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 281 

Throughout all generations. 

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass, 

As showers that water the earth. 

In his days shall the righteous flourish, 

And abundance of peace, so long as the moon endu- 

reth. 
He shall have dominion from sea to sea, 
From the river to the ends of the earth. 
They that dwell in the desert shall bow before him, 
And his enemies shall lick the dust. 
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring 

presents ; 
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts, 
All kings shall fall down before him: 
All nations shall serve him. 
A handful of corn, scattered in the earth on the top 

o^the mountains 
Shall wave its fruit like the trees of Lebanon : 
And the'peopled cities shall flourish like grass of the 

earth. 
His name shall endure for ever ; 
His name shall be continued as long as the sun. 
Men shall be blessed in him ; 
All nations shall call him blessed ! 

David said to all the congregation, " now 

bless the Lord your God." And all the 

congregation blessed the Lord God of their 
T 2 



222 LIFE OF DAVID* 

fathers, and bowed down their heads, and 
worshipped, and offered sacrifices. 

This was the last public act of King 
David. Soon after, feeling himself to be dy- 
ing, he called Solomon, and charged him to 
do his duty to God and his people. Then 
he offered another of his sweet songs of 
praise to God, and sunk back and died. 
He was buried on mount Zion, and all the 
people of Israel mourned as for a father. 
David had reigned forty years ; seven years 
at Hebron, and thirty-three as king over 
all Israel. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

David's character. 

Having now related many of the most 
remarkable things in the life of David. 
Let us stop and recollect a little, and try 



LIFE OF DAVID. 223 

to judge about his character. When we 
read the lives of gre^t men, we wish to 
know how far they are good, that we may 
strive to imitate their virtues, and how far 
they are not good, that we may avoid 
their faults. David sometimes did wrong, 
as you have already learned. But he loved 
God, and served him, and usually obeyed 
him. He was an uncommonly great and 
good man. Our minds would become con- 
fused if we were to try to recollect all parts 
of his character at once ; so w^e will think 
of him first, in one situation, and then in 
another, and then in another, till we have 
gone through with the whole. We will 
think of David as a youth, as a warrior, as 
a king, and as a poet. 

First, w^e will think of David as a youth. 
It is delightful to look at him when he was 
a child, and a young man ; and here we can 
find some things to imitate. He was obe- 



924 LIFE OF DAVID* 

dient to his parents. It is said that only those 
who know how to obey, know how to go- 
vern. David knew how to obey. He had 
studied the command, " Honour thy father 
and thy mother," and knew that it came 
from God. At his father's command he left 
the pleasant company in Bethlehem, and 
went alone into the fields to take care of the 
sheep. When his father sent for him to 
come and see Samuel, he came imme- 
diately, though he did not expect that 
Samuel would promise him a kingdom. Af- 
terwards, when David was driven about by 
Saul, and could not find a safe place for 
his father and mother in his country, he 
went with them to the king of Moab, and 
requested him to take care of them. He 
was more anxious for them than for him- 
self He was faithful to his parents when 
they were absent and could not see what 
he did. He carefully watched over their 



LIFE OF DAVID. 225 

sheep, and led them to the best pastures 
and the clearest waters. He exposed him- 
self to great dangers, by fighting with a 
lion and a bear, to save his father's flock. 
He was not like those children and young 
persons who neglect their duty, as soon as 
they are out of sight of their parents or 
guardians. 

There was another thing in which Da- 
vid set a good example. He diligently 
made the best use of his time, and all his 
advantages. Now we must recollect that 
his advantages were small, compared with 
those which children at present enjoy. 
True, he had good parents to teach him 
out of the law which God gave to Moses. 
He was taught to read this law. Besides 
this, he probably had but few books, ex- 
cept a book of songs or poems, and perhaps 
a few books on history. 

Yet he became a fine poet, and the best 



226 LIFE OF DAVID, 

musician in the country, before he was 
twenty years old. — How did he do this ? I 
will tell you. He carefully applied himself 
to study, and made good use of all the op- 
portunities that he had for gaining know- 
ledge. He became perfectly acquainted 
with the history of the Hebrews, from the 
time of Abraham their ancestor. All their 
wars, and the many changes in their cir- 
cumstances, and especially their wander- 
ings in the wilderness, before they settled 
in Palestine, were as well known to him as 
the streets and people of Bethlehem. He 
also learned from the first book of Moses, 
the whole history of the world before the 
time of Abraham. He probably read the 
book of songs, which contained a number 
of Hebrew poems. Now, though a person 
may read many books in a hasty, careless 
way, and know but little when he has 
done, yet David learned a great deal by 



LIFE OP DAVID, 227 

closely studying his little library. He 
learned many things which he wrote out 
into poetry, and many things which after- 
wards helped him to govern his people 
well. This is not all. While many children 
of the same age were at play, and trifling 
away their time, David was alone with his 
sheep among the hills of Judah. He had 
the whole care of his father's flock. Such 
important business made him sober and 
thoughtful. Besides, he was in a beautiful 
country, and watched all the different ap- 
pearances around him. He saw the sun 
shining in his strength, and the moon 
walking in her brightness ! He saw the high 
mountains, and green valleys, and the 
sweet flowers, and the tall trees, and the 
sportive animals; and in his verses he 
called upon them all to praise God. He saw 
the storms which, in that country, gather in 
dark clouds upon the hills, and suddenly 



228 LIFE OF DAVID. 

pour themselves down in rain, and thun- 
der, and lightning upon the valleys. As he 
fled with his flocks to some neighbouring 
shelter, he worshipped God, who came in 
the whirlwind and the storm. He remem- 
bered these scenes, and used sweetly to 
describe them many years afterwards, 
when he was writing poetry in his palace 
at Jerusalem. David improved himself in 
music by singing his songs, and practising 
on different instruments. And during his 
solitary hours, he thought much, and se- 
riously, of God, his character, and works, 
and the way in which he governed the 
world. In this manner he gained great 
strength of mind, and became much more 
judicious and manly than others of his age. 
So it is with persons who are very excel- 
lent. If you read the histories of great 
kings, or great generals, or great writers, 
you will find that they all improved their 



LIFE OF DAVID. 229 

time when they were young. They stu- 
died hard, and thought a good deal, and 
carefully noticed what was going on 
around them. 

When David was young, he had an ami- 
able engaging temper. He showed this in 
his obliging, affectionate conduct towards 
his parents. He showed it by his kindness 
to his brothers. While they were in the 
camp of Saul, at Elah, he went several 
miles early one morning, to inquire after 
their health, and carry them a present. 
And when his eldest brother reproached 
him, he did not return angry words, |^but 
gave a mild and pleasant answer. He 
gained favour with all his acquaintances. 
The servants of Saul spoke well of him to 
their master, when they recommended him 
as a musician to play before the king. Af- 
ter he came to Gibeah, he was beloved by 

Jonathan, and bv the king's servants, and 
U 



230 LIFE OF DAVID. 

by all the people. He had a sweet temper 
and amiable manners. 

I have one thing more to say of David, 
when he was a youth, and this is the most 
important thing of all. He was pious. 
While he was young and active, with a 
bright bloom on his cheek, and pleasant 
thoughts in his mind, he chose God for his 
best friend. He began to love and obey 
him, and determined to do so as long as he 
lived. This prepared him for all the 
changes of his whole life. Whenever he 
was in trouble, he prayed to God to help 
him; and if God did not immediately 
help him, he was patient and submissive. 
When he was happy, he thanked and 
praised God, and called upon all around 
him to do the same. Sometimes he could 
not judge what it was his duty to do ; then 
he made the High Priest put on the Urim 
and Thummim, and asked God to direct 



LIFE OF DAVID. 231 

him. At all times he trusted in God as his 
protector and friend, for he had begun to 
do so when he was young. After he be- 
came an old man, he said to God in one of 
his Psalms, " Thou art my trust, from my 
youth." — " O God, thou hast taught me 
from my youth, and hitherto .have I de- 
clared thy wondrous works. Now, also, 
when I am old and gray headed, O God, 
forsake me not." 

When at any time he was overcome by 
temptation, his piety caused him to confess 
his sins, and be sorry for them, and be 
more on his guard afterwards. His piety 
helped him to set a good example to his 
people, and to do them much good. I hope 
all of vou will imitate David in this re- 
spect. Love and serve God while you are 
young. Then you will be useful and happy 
through life. 

We will next think of David as a war- 



232 LIFE OF DAVID. 

rior. In early youth he showed much 
courage in killing a lion and a bear, and 
afterwards in fighting with the giant. 
While he was at the court of Saul, he was 
often employed to command soldiers, who 
were sent to fight the Philistines. He had 
many opportunities of learning how to 
command an army, and to conquer his ene- 
mies. At the time he was chosen king, the 
Israelites were in a distressed situation. 
They had been so often conquered by the 
Philistines and other nations around them, 
that they were in constant fear of being 
attacked. There had also been a long civil 
war, or a w^ar between the tribes of Judah 
and Benjamin, who had chosen David king, 
and the other tribes of Israel, who had 
chosen Ishbosheth king. This war was 
closed by the death of Ishbosheth. David 
began his reign by making preparations to 
defend his country. There had been no re- 



LIFE OF DAVID. 233 

gular army before. In time of peace the 
Israelites were scattered about on their 
farms ; and when any neighbouring nation 
declared war against them, they were col- 
lected together into an army, and sent out 
to fight. But sometimes their enemies did 
not declare war, but came suddenly into 
the country, without giving the Hebrews 
any warning. When a company of armed 
men came in this way into Palestine, they 
had time to kill many people, and carry 
off' much property before the Israelites 
could leave their farms and put on their 
armour, and come together to drive them 
away. As the people in all the countries 
around were disposed to injure the Is- 
raelites, David determined to keep an army 
of men at Jerusalem, inconstant readiness 
to fight. Such an army would now be 
called a standing army. Almost all kings 
have standing armies. 

u 2 



234 LIFE OF DAVID. 

This army of two hundred and eighty- 
eight thousand men was divided into 
twelve parts or divisions. One division of 
twenty-four thousand men was kept at Je- 
rusalem one month, constantly prepared to 
fight. The next month these men were 
permitted to go home, and twenty-four 
thousand more came in to supply their 
places, and so on through the whole year. 
The enemies of the Israelites were now 
afraid to come into the country because it 
was defended by so large an army. David 
also appointed a guard of soldiers called 
Cherethites and Pelethites, to be constantly 
about himself, to accompany him when he 
went out, and protect him from danger. 
He formed a company of officers called 
mighty men. No person could be a member 
of this company till he had performed some 
very brave action. The hope of obtaining 
this honour made the soldiers courageous. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 235 

There were other ways in which David 
showed himself to be a great general. He 
did not wait for his enemies to come and 
fight with him in Palestine. If he had done 
so, he would have exposed his country to 
be continually trodden down and destroyed 
by armies, as it had often been before. He 
went with his soldiers into the different 
countries around, until he had conquered 
them all. Thus, though there were many 
wars during the reign of David, the Is- 
raelites who remained at home had peace 
and quietness. Every body was afraid to 
disturb them. It is commonly wicked for 
men to fight and kill each other, but it was 
not wicked for David to go to war, because 
God had commanded him to defend his 
country against the idolatrous nations who 
wished to destroy the Israelites, and the 
worship of the true God. David tells us in 
one of his Psalms, that God taught him to 



236 LIFE OF DAVID. 

fight. '* Blessed be the Lord my strength, 
which teacheth my hands to war, and my 
fingers to fight." 

As a king, it was David's first wisdom to 
govern the people according to the com- 
mands of God. He acted wisely, and con- 
stantly endeavoured to make his people 
good and happy. By conquering so many 
nations he made the country of the Israel- 
ites very large. It reached to the Eu- 
phrates on the east, to the Red sea on the 
south, and to Phoenicia, a rich trading 
country, on the north-west. Knowing that 
they were now in no danger of being 
robbed and oppressed by their heathen 
neighbours, the Israelites went on cheer- 
fully with their usual employment. By 
cultivating their land and manufacturing 
useful articles, and trading with different 
countries, they became rich. David was 
careful to appoint good judges, so that no 



LIFE OF DAVID. 237 

man could unjustly take away his neigh- 
bour's property. It is supposed that David 
sent out ships from some of the towns on the 
Red sea to India. These ships carried the 
things that grew, or were made in Pales- 
tine, and brought back gold, and silver, 
and precious stones, and many other valu- 
able things. King David wore a purple 
robe, wath a crown of gold on his head. He 
sat on a throne, and carried in his hand a 
sceptre, an ornamented staff, that was only 
used by kings. He probably had a splen- 
did court at Jerusalem. The great officers 
of a king, and the lords and ladies who live 
in his palace, or often come there, are 
called his court. David had many great 
men about him. There were his sons, and 
many of the princes of the different tribes, 
and the men who advised him about go- 
verning the country. There w-ere several 
prophets, and the high priest, and other 



238 LIFE OF DAVID. 

priests, and a multitude of Levites, who 
were the most learned men among the 
Hebrews. There were the guards who 
stood around the palace of the king, and 
accompanied him when he walked or rode 
out. A number of poets and historians 
lived at Jerusalem. Many of these people 
dined every day with the king. 

I have said that David did much to 
make his people good and happy. The best 
thing that he did, was to cause that God 
should be constantly worshipped on mount 
Zion. It was one of the first acts of his 
reign, to place the ark in the tabernacle, 
in the presence of all the people. He col- 
lected together the priests and Levites, and 
commanded them to offer sacrifices morn- 
ing and evening. Before this, there was no 
music in the Hebrew worship. David ap- 
pointed many companies of Levites to take 
their turns in singing praises to God before 



LIFE OF DAVID. 2^ 

the tabernacle. He wrote many beautiful 
hymns for them to sing. This made the 
worship very solemn and interesting. He 
wrote songs for the people to sing when 
they came to Jerusalem three times a year, 
to the feast of the passover, and the feast 
of pentecost, and the feast of tabernacles. 
He wished to make them a religious peo- 
ple. His poems were probably sung in all 
the houses and cottages in Israel. He was 
so anxious that God should be worshipped 
aright, that he spent much of his life in 
making preparations for the building of a 
temple, which should be very grand and 
convenient. 

David had great riches. But he did not 
obtain and lay up those riches for his own 
use. No, it was for the temple of God, 
which his son was to build. For building 
and ornamenting this temple, he laid by 
heaps of gold, and silver, and precious 



240 LIFE OF DAVID. 

stones, and metals, and fragrant and beau- 
tiful wood. He intended the house of God 
should be as splendid as possible, that the 
people might love to come up to it. There 
they could learn much about God, and 
their duty. There they could become ac- 
quainted with each other, and attached to 
each other. The nation became more po- 
pulous, and rich, and happy, under the 
long government of David, than it ever 
was before. And when he died, he left his 
son Solomon the richest and most power- 
ful king in all that part of Asia. 

We will now say a few words about Da- 
vid as a poet. We have learned that he 
wrote many beautiful Psalms, and that he 
was the first person who wrote poems to be 
sung at the worship of God. He invented 
a new kind of poetry, which had more 
gentleness and sweetness in it, more of 
pious joy and gratitude, than any that the 



LIFE OF DAVID. 241 

Hebrews were acquainted with before. 
His Psalms have always been admired, 
and for nearly three thousand years have 
been sung in almost all meetings for prayer 
and praise to God. They have been 
translated into almost every written lan- 
guage, and his poems are more beautiful 
than any that are to be found out of the 
Bible. He is known all over the world as 
the sweet singer of Israel, whether in 
strains of gladness or melancholy, of tri- 
umph, or deep confession, he surpasses all 
other poets. Some of th^se songs were 
written to be sung at the removal of the 
ark. They are very joyful, and so' are 
those which were intended to be sung by 
the Israelites, as they went up to Jerusa- 
lem, at the three festivals. Others are 
hymns which describe the character and 
works of God. These speak of the wonder- 
ful and terrible things that God has done, 
X 



242 LIFE OF DAVID. 

and are very grand and solemn. Some 
were written when David had been guilty 
of great sins, and are called penitential 
psalms, because they show deep sorrow 
for his sins, and earnest desires that God 
would pardon him and make him holy. 
David wrote some of his most interesting 
Psalm3 when he was driven away from Je- 
rusalem by his wicked son Absalom. I 
will conclude this chapter with one of 
these poems. It was probably written 
when Barzillai met David and his soldiers 
on the eastern side of Jordan, and spread 
a table for them in the wilderness 

The Lord is ray shepherd, 
I shall not want ; 

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, 
He leadeth me beside the still waters, 
He restoreth ray soul, 

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, 
For his name's sake. 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow 
of death, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 243 

I will fear no evil : for thou art with me ; 

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. 

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of 
mine enemies. 

Thou anointest my head with oil ; my cup runneth 
over. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the 
days of my life, 

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for- 
ever. 



CHAPTER XXVL 

Remarks on the line of talents^ and good qua* 
lilies of David. 

It is rare to see such a union of talents 
and good qualities in the same person, as 
was found in David. He was a brave and 
enterprising general. His military skill was 
far greater than that of others in his age. 
He made many improvements in the art of 
war. — He was probably as celebrated in 



244 LIFE OF DAVID. 

his time, for military glory, as Napoleon 
was a few years ago. — Some men are skil- 
ful generals, who have not talents for other 
things. — But David was also a fine poet, 
and a man of taste, as well as a bold war- 
rior. His poetry has a sweetness and 
beauty at least, equal to any of a simi- 
lar kind that has ever been written. — 
Some persons can write good poetry, but 
can do little else. — They have fancy, and 
imagination, and genius, but they have not 
what men call common sense. Hence they 
are often useless in society. — They cannot 
gain influence over others in active scenes. 
But David had an uncommon power over 
the minds of his friends and associates. — 
One example will show this. — We should 
not expect that a young poet and musician 
like David, would be able to govern such 
bold .and daring men as composed his 
troops when he was persecuted by Saul. 



LIFE OF DAVID. 245 

They were a restless and desperate band. 
Every one that v^as in distress, and every 
one that was in debt, and every one that 
was discontented, gathered themselves unto 
him, and he became a captain over them. 
They were men without principle. Most 
of them followed David only because they 
thought he would finally become king, and 
they should get some reward. David, how- 
ever, had them entirely under his com- 
mand. They followed him through dangers 
and sufferings that few would have borne, 
because they respected and loved him. 
He overawed their turbulence. He check- 
ed their desire for plunder. He restrained 
their wish to kill Saul, to gratify their re- 
venge. When their spirits were sinking, he 
roused them to confidence by his own cou- 
rage. When he bade them advance to the 
combat, they instantly rushed onward. 
When he wished them to retreat, they in- 
X 2 



246 LIFE OF DAVID* 

stantly obeyed. And when the victorjr 
W£is won, the harp of the poet-w^arrior sent 
forth its notes of praise and gratitude to 
God. David must have possessed unusual 
influence and talent to do all this. 

Men of genius are apt to disregard me- 
thod in business, and even to dislike busi- 
ness of every kind. But David was atten- 
tive to the concerns of his father in his child- 
hood, and when he became king, he was at- 
tentive to all the duties w^hich belong to a 
king. Whether in peace or in war, he was al- 
ways busy. He governed his kingdom with 
uncommon wisdom and energy. Its trade, 
its arts, its military system, its mode of 
worship, all received a share of his atten- 
tion. And as if this was not enough to oc- 
cupy David's thoughts, he provided mate- 
rials for the splendid temple to be built by 
Solomon. 

He was also a man of unusual piety, 



LIFE OF DAVID. 247 

Men of taste often have bad principles. It 
is not very common to find men of much 
piety among great generals. And among 
all the kings that have ever reigned, only 
here and there one has been distinguished 
for goodness. But David w^as a very pious 
man. Though a poet, a general, and a 
king, he W3,s as devoted as the most re- 
tired christian. He was penitent, humble, 
and heavenly minded. He loved the law 
of God, and he loved to meditate in it. He 
loved prayer, and he prayed to God seven 
times a day. He loved the people of God, 
and the altar of God was his exceeding 
joy. But he did not merely love to think 
about God, and praise God. He was not 
pious merely at home, and in retirement. 
In. the court, and in the camp — when fly- 
ing from persecution, and when victorious 
over his foes — when forming plans to sub- 
due his enemies, and when forming plans 



248 LIFE OF DAVID. 

for the government of his own people, his 
heart was ever full of the love of God, and 
he wished to do all that God had com- 
manded. His piety was a vigorous plant, 
and would grow and flourish when that of 
most men droops and dies. God was the 
portion of his soul and his joy wherever he 
.went, and in whatever scenes he was en- 
gaged. And to obey God was the great 
object of his life. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

History of the Memorj/ of David. 

I HAVE now given my yoitng readers a 
short account of the history of David until 
his death. But I must not stop here. 
Every man may be said, in a certain sense, 
to live two lives on the earth ; and some 
men, but just begin their usefulness when 



LIFE OF DAVID. 249 

they die. One of these lives is before death, 
the other after it. The former hfe is when 
the man himself is present, living and act- 
ing. The latter is when his example is 
thought of after he is dead, and his labour, 
and plans, and opinions, and WTitings, do 
good among those that live after him. 
Some men are remembered a long tirne. 
The Bible says * The righteous shall be in 
everlasting remembrance.' And it says of 
Abel, *he being dead, yet speaketh.' That 
is, the faith of Abel is a good example for 
men to follow, and will never be forgotten. 
Some that live but a little while do a great 
deal of good when they are dead. Nathan 
W. Dickerman died when he was about 
eight years old, but he will speak to a 
great many little boys and girls a hundred 
years hence. They will read how he loved 
to go to the Sabbath school, and how he 
loved to pray to God, and how^ he loved 



250 LIFE OF DAVID. 

the Lord Jesus Christ ; and they will love 
to go to the Sabbath school, and to pray 
to God, and to seek the Saviour, just as he 
did. O, who would not wish to be remem- 
bered, and to do good when he is dead. 

Some men are remembered when they 
are dead, because they knew a great deal 
when they were alive : such men were 
Lord Bacon and Sir William Jones. Others 
are remembered because they made useful 
discoveries in science : such men were Sir 
Isaac Newton who discovered the princi- 
ple of gravitation ; and the astronomer 
Herschel, who discovered the planet called 
by his name. Some men are remembered 
because they wrote good books when they 
were alive : such men were Baxter and 
Bunyan, and Dr. Watts, and Dr. Doddridge, 
and President Edwards, and Dr. Dwight. 
Others are remembered because they were 
very kind and benevolent : such a man 



LIFE OF DAVID. * 251 

was Howard, who went all over Europe to 
visit the prisons, and to try to help those shut 
up in prisons. Some are remembered be- 
cause they ha /e been the friends of justice 
and humanity : such are Clarkson and 
Wilberforce in England, who spent many 
years in opposing the slave trade. Others 
are remembered because they have gone 
as missionaries to the heathens. Among 
such are Brainerd, and Swartz, and 
Martyn. 

David was one of this class of men that 
are remembered a great while. He lived 
about three thousand years ago, but he is 
not yet forgotten. He is mentioned in the 
Bible very often after his death. I have 
made out a list of the places where he is 
thus spoken of, and put it in the appendix, 
that my young readers may see bow often 
the Bible mentions David after he died- 
But let us examine some of these passages, 



252 LIFE OF DAVID. 

and see why David is remembered so long* 
It is not because he was a king merely. 
Many others who were kings of Israel af- 
ter him, are forgotten. Neither is it be- 
cause he was a great wamor merely. I do 
not recollect bat one place where his 
bravery is mentioned after his death. That 
is Zechariah xii. 8. I wish my young read- 
ers to notice this particularly. The Bible 
does not rank military glory so high as 
men do. It was necessary that David 
should be a skilful and brave general, that 
he might drive the heathens out of the 
land which God had given to his people, or 
else subdue them, and keep them in sub- 
jection while they lived among the Israel- 
ites. God intended that Solomon, the son 
of David, should build him a temple. But 
Solomon could not do this unless his king- 
dom was at peace. So God assisted David 
to subdue the nations all around the bor- 



LIFE OF DAVID. 253 

ders of the Israelites, and they kept quiet 
while the temple was building. The Bible 
gives a short history of these wars, but it 
does not afterwards dwell on the bravery and 
courage, and military skill of David. You 
would scarcely know, from what the Bible 
tells of him after his death, that David \yas 
a famous warrior. 

David's regard for the religious instruc- 
tion of his family is once referred to in the 
Bible, after he was dead. Read the pas- 
sage. Proverbs iv. 3, 15. Soon after Solo- 
mon had buried his father, (jod appeared 
to him in a vision, and told him he might 
ask what he pleased, and it should be 
granted. Solomon was quite young — but 
what do you think he asked ?— Riches ? 
No. — Long life? No. — Pleasure and q.muse- 
ments 1 No. — He asked for wisdom. Is 
not this singular, that a young man,. and a 
king too, should be so sober-minded as to 



254 LIFE OF DAVID. 

choose wisdom before any thing else?-^---' 
How came he to value wisdom so highly T 
I think I can tell you ; for I believe Solo- 
mon himself has given us the reason. He 
says, * I was my father's son, tender, and 
only beloved in the sight of my mother. 
He taught me and said unto me, let thy 
heart retain my w^ords ; keep my com- 
mandments and live. Get wisdom, get un- 
derstanding ; forget it not, neither decline 
from the w^ords of my mouth. Wisdom is 
the principal thing : therefore get wisdom ; 
and with all thy getting, get understand- 
ing. Exalt her, and she shall promote 
thee. A crown of glory shall she deliver 
to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my 
sayings, and the years of thy life shall be 
many. I have taught thee in the way of 
wisdom, I have led thee in the right 
paths.' 

Is not this advice of David to his son ex- 



LIFE or DAVID. 255 

cellent? Solomon was not so happy in 
having a father who was a king, as in 
having a father who was a pious man. — 
When God gave Solomon his choice of 
every earthly good, Solomon remembered 
what his father had taught him. — * Get wis- 
dom, get understanding ; wisdom is the prin- 
cipal thing — exalt her, and she shall pro- 
mote thee — and the years of thy life shall 
be many.' — So he chose wisdom, like an 
obedient child, and he found what his 
father David told him was true. For God 
was so pleased because Solomon followed 
his father's counsels, and chose wisdom, 
that he granted to Solomon abundance of 
riches, and honours, and also length of 
days. 

Qiildren and youth that have pious 
parents can never be thankful enough for 
the privilege ; and like Solomon, they will 
always find it good to follow their coun- 



256 LIFE OF DAV^D. 

sels. Parents may from this also learn how 
to be a blessing to their children after they 
are dead. One reason why so many chil- 
dren do not seek after wisdom is, that their 
parents, when alive, never tell them to get 
wisdom as the first thing. They told them 
to get money, or to get reputation and ho- 
nour, rather than to get wisdom, and to 
choose the fear of the Lord. — We learn 
too from this fact, that though David had 
so many things to occupy his thoughts, he 
did not neglect the religious instruction of 
his family. We learn too, moreover, that 
the benefits which the world has derived 
from the wisdom and writings of Solomon, 
are, to a great extent, to be ascribed to the 
influence of David. How much good is 
done by faithful religious counsels ! 

David had been a warm and faithful 
friend to Hiram, king of Tyre, who loved 
David, and loved and aided Solomon for 



LIFE or DAVID. 257 

his father's sake. Hiram sent men to help 
build the temple, out of regard to the 
memory of David. So David not only in his 
life provided a great amount of silver, and 
gold, and other precious things for the 
temple ; but when he was dead, was. the 
means of providing workmen for build- 
ing it. 

When Solomon had finished the temple, 
he brought into it " the things which Da- 
vid his father, had dedicated," before his 
death. How pleasant it must have been to 
Solomon, that his father had been willing 
to give so much to promote the worship of 
God ! What child or youth who has any 
idea of Solomon's wisdom, would not rather 
have his father imitate David, than imi- 
tate those foolish parents, who think they 
shall rob their families if they give any 
thing for religious uses ! How much are 
those children to be pitied, whose parents 
Y 2 



258 LIFE OF DAVID. 

are too covetous, though they have abun^ 
dance, to do their part in supporting the 
worship of God ! 

When Solomon was old, he fell into idol- 
atry ; but it is thought that he repented 
of his sins before he died, and turned unto 
the God of his father. He says, " train up 
a child in the way he should go ; when he 
is old he will not depart from it." He may 
have been thinking of himself when he 
wrote this. He may. have been thinking 
what good advice his father gave him in 
his childhood, and how he remembered 
this advice in his old age. But though So- 
lomon sinned so much against God, and 
provoked him to anger, God remembered 
the piety of David, and did not cast Solo- 
mon entirely off. God told Solomon, that to 
punish him for becoming an idolater, his; 
kingdom should all be taken away except 
Judah and Benjamin. Notwithstanding, in 



LIFE OF DAVID. 259 

thy days, said God, " I will not do it, for 
David thy father's sake." How blessed is 
it to have pious parents ! 

The Lord remembered the prayers and 
the piety of David, and showed mercy unto 
his family for many generations. Abijam, 
the great-grandson of David, was a bad 
man. Nevertheless, for David's sake, did 
the Lord his God give him a lamp in Jeru- 
salem, to set up his son after him, and to 
establish Jerusalem ! Many years after- 
wards, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat 
reigned in Judah, and was a very wicked 
prince. But the Lord would not destroy 
Judah, for David his servant's sake. Ar- 
mies and walls, and gates, and bars, could 
not have defended Jerusalem; but the piety 
of David was its shield so long after his 
death. 

When Hezekiah, who was a good king, 
and a pious man, reigned in Jerusalem, the 



260 LIFE OF DAVir. 

troops of Sennacherib, kin^; of Assyria, in* 
vaded the land. He^ekiah and his people 
were in great trouble. The king of Assy- 
ria had conquered many nations, and the 
troops of Hezekiah were too few and fee- 
ble to stand against their enemies. The 
Assyrians had already taken the strong 
cities of Judah and was about to march 
against Jerusalem. Hezekiah betook him- 
self to prayer. Isaiah the prophet s-3on 
came and told him, in the name of the Lord, 
that the enemy should not approach Jeru- 
salem, and that the city was safe. " For I 
will defend this city, saith God, to save it 
for my own sake, and for my servant Da- 
vid's sake." What a proof that the righ- 
teous have power with God, and that God 
remembereth the seed of the just to the 
thousandth generation ! David had now 
been dead more than three hundred years. 
But his name, like a wall of fire, still stood 



LIFE OF DAVID. 261 

between Jerusalem and her enemies. God 
will defend that city and save it, for his 
own sake, and for his servant David's sake. 
Hezekiah w^as a very good man. In answer 
to his prayer God lengthened out his life, 
but did not defend and save Jerusalem for 
Hezekiah's sake. Isaiah the prophet was 
then alive, and an eminent saint. Yet the 
Lord did not defend and save Jerusalem 
for the sake of Isaiah, but for the sake of 
David. This shows that David must 
have been a great and good man, such 
as the world scarcely ever saw. The 
Bible calls him the man after God's own 
heart 1 

We have already seen that David wrote 
many psalms and hymns, and also set 
bands of singers to praise God in the tem- 
ple. After David died, his sacred songs 
were used in all after ages for public wor- 
ship ; and by the kings of Israel who re- 



262 LIFE OF DAVID. 

stored the worship of God, the ordinances 
and songs of David were adopted. 

David is spoken of by many of the pro- 
phets who Hved long after his death. He 
is mentioned several times by Isaiah, who 
represents the Messiah as sitting on the 
throne of David his father. Jeremiah 
also mentions him. He calls the Messiah a 
branch of David. He even calls the Mes- 
siah, David, the king whom God would 
raise up. If David had not been very 
great, and powerful, and good, the Mes- 
siah would never have been called by his 
name. 

It is an interesting circumstance in the 
memory of David, that until the time of 
the captivity, which was more than four 
hundred and fifty years, David was re- 
garded as an example of what a good king 
ought to be. When a king was pious, and 
served the Lord, and governed his people 



LIFE OF DAVID. 263 

well, he was said to walk in the ways of 
David — or to do right in the sight of the 
Lord, like David. But when a king was 
wicked, and unjust, and cruel to his peo- 
ple, he was said not to walk in the ways 
of David. Thus it is said of Hezekiah, 
that he did that which was right in the 
sight of the Lord, according to all that Da- 
vid his father had done. So Josiah is said 
to have walked in the ways of David his fa- 
ther. And of Ahaz, who was a very wicked 
king, it is said, he did not that which 
was right in the sight of the Lord, like Da- 
vid his father. When any are long spo- 
ken of as examples of particular excel- 
lence, it shows how eminent they must 
have been in it. When men say of any 
one, * he is just as Aristides,' or, * he is ho- 
nest as Cato,' or, ^ he is patriotic as Wash- 
ington,' it shows Aristides was famous for 
justice; Cato for honesty; and Washington 



264 LIFE OF DAVID. 

for patriotism. David must have been a 
very good king, to have been spoken of in 
this manner so long. 

We have now come down to the time of 
Christ, which is reckoned to be one thou- 
sand and fifty-eight years after David was 
made king. This is a long time. The 
Jewish nation had been into captivity, and 
had been oppressed by the successors of 
Alexander, and afterwards by the Romans. 
But they still remembered David. When 
the Pharisees found fault with the disci- 
ples for plucking corn on the sabbath, be- 
cause they were hungry, Christ told the 
Pharisees what David did in similar cir- 
cumstances. David was still so much re- 
spected that the Pharisees did not venture 
to find any more fault, when they recol- 
lected that David's example was. on the 
side of the disciples. 

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem in 



LIFE OP DAVID. 265 

triumph, just before the close of his Hfe, 
the multitude spread branches in his way, 
and shouted Hosanna to the son of Da- 
vid. Blessed be the kingdom of our father 
David, that cometh in the name of the 
Lord. 

Matthew, Mark, and Luke, each seve- 
ral times call Christ the son of David, — 
and the Jews, at that period, spake of the 
Messiah in the same way. Paul mentions 
that Jesus Christ was of the seed of David ; 
and John calls him the root and the off- 
spring of David, and him that hath the key 
of David. Peter mentions David with great 
respect, and says that his tomb was with the 
Jews until that day. He calls David a pro- 
phet. He says that David knew the Messiah 
would be one of his descendants, and that 
more than a thousand years before, he 
knew that Christ was to rise from the dead. 

It is nearly two thousand years since 
Z 



266 LIFE OF DAVID* _: 

i! 

the last page in the Bible was written. 
But the Jews still look on David as the 
greatest glory of their nation, and christians 
regard him with great reverence. They 
still express their gratitude, penitence, and 
love in the language which David used in 
prayer and praise. Every Sabbath in the 
house of God, and every day in their fami- 
lies, the pious employ in their devotions the 
thoughts and the words of David. His 
psalms are yet sung in the public worship 
of God, as they were in the temple of old. 
Dr. Watts, who translated the psalms of 
David, is thought to have written at least 
one half the good sacred poetry in the 
English language. He probably, in study- 
ing David's poetry, caught something of his 
spirit, and was thus able to unite other 
beautiful hymns in praise of God. David 
was evidently designed to be the great sa- 
cred poet of the world. To fit him for this 



LIFE OF DAVID. 267 

office, God placed him in many different 
situations. Sometimes David was full of 
joy, and sometimes he was very sorrowful. 
Sometimes he was victorious over his ene- 
mies, and successful in his plans — and 
sometimes he was persecuted, and in very 
great danger. Sometimes he was pros- 
perous, and at other times afflicted. In all 
these different circumstances David ex- 
pressed his feelings in poetry, so that he 
made hymns suitable for almost every 
one, whatever his circumstances may be. 
When persons feel as David did, they will 
love to read his songs. 

To estimate the present influence of 
David on the world, would be impossible. 
His influence will continue to increase. 
His glory is connected wdth that of Christ 
his exalted son. He will yet be known in 
every heathen land. Wherever the Bible 
goes, saints will pour forth their pious feel- 



268 LIFE OF DAVID. 

ings in the words of David, and express 
their gratitude to God in his songs of 
praise. The time will come when it may 
be said concerning his hymns, in his own 
beautiful language, 

* Their line is gone out through all the earth, 
And their words to the end of the world.' 



APPENDIX. 



PASSAGES IN WHICH DAVID IS MENTIONED 
AFTER HIS DEATH. 

1 Kings, 2 : 12, 24, 26, 32, 33, 44, 45.-3 : 1, 3, 6, 7, 14.— 
5 ; 1, 3, 6, 7.-6 : 12.— 7 : 51.— 8 : 1, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 24, 
25, 26, 06.— 9 : 4, 5, 24.— 11 : 4, 6, 12, 13, 15, 21, 24, 27, 
32, 33, 34, 36, 38, 39, 43.-12 : 16, 19, 20, 26.— 13 : 2.— 14 ; 
8, 31.— 15 : 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 24.-22 : 50. 

2 Kings, 8 : 19.— 9 : 28.— 12 : 21.— 14 : 3, 20.-15 : 7, 38.— 
16: 2,20.-17: 21.-18: 3.— 19 : 34.— 20: 5,6.-21 : 7. 
—22: 2. 

2 Chronicles, 1 : 1, 4, 8, 9.-2 : 3, 7, 12, 14, 17.-3: 1.— 5 : 
1, 2.-6 : 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 15, 16. 17, 42.-7 : 6, 10, 17, 18.— 
8: 11, 14.-9: 31.-10; 16, 19.— 11 : 17, 18.-12: 16.— 
13: 5,6,7.-14: 1.-16: 14.— 21 : 1,7.20.-23: 3,9,18. 
—24 : 16, 25.-29 : 2, 25, 26, 27, 30.-30 : 26.-32 : 5, 30, 
33.-33 : 7, 14.— 34 : 2, 3.-35 : 3, 4, 15. 

Ezra, 3 : 10. 

Nehemiah, 12: 24, 36, 37, 45, 46. 

Psalm, 89 : 3, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 
35, 36, 38, 49. 

Proverbs, 1 : 1.— 4 : 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 

Ecclesiastes, 1 : 1. 

Solomon's Song, 4 : 4, 

Isaiah, 7 : 2, 13.-9 : 7.— 16 : 5.-22 : 22.-29 : 1—37 : 35. 
—38: 5.— 55: 3. 

Jeremiah, 13 : 13.-17 : 25.— 21 : 12.— 22 : 4, 30.— 23 : 5.— 
29 : 16.— 30 : 9.-33: 15, 17, 21, 22, 26.-36 . 30. 

263 



270 APPE^DIX. 

Ezekiel, 34 : 23, 24.-37 ; 24, 25. 

Hosea, 3; 5. 

Amos, 6: 5.-9: 11. 

Zechariah, 12: 7,8, 10, 12. 

Matthew, 1: 6, 17—12: 3, 23.— 15: 22.— 20: 30, 31.— 

21 : 9, 15.— 22 : 42, 43, 45. 
Mark.— 2: 25— ]0: 47,48—11: 10.— 12: 35,36,37. 
Luke.— 1 : 27, 69—2 : 4, 11.-^3 : 31.— 6 : 3, 4.— 18 : 38, 39.— 

20: 41,42,44. 
lohn, 7 c 42. 
Acts, 2: 25, 29, 30, 34—4 : 25—7: 45, 46.— 13: 22, 23, 

34, 36.-15 : la 
Romans, 1 : 3—4 : 6.-11 : 9. 
2 Timothy, 2 : 8. 
Hebrews, 4: 7. — 11: 9. 
Revelation, 3; 7.-5: 5.-22: 16. 



ANALYSIS OF DAVID'S JOURNEYINGS. 

Note. — David's journey ings, as put down in (his analysis, 
may be traced by a dotted line upon the accompanying map, 
to the time of his coronation at Hebron. Then commencing 
at Jerusalem, with Itis " escape from Absalom,'* it may be 
traced through. 

1 Samuel, ch. ver. 
David goes from Bethlehem to Gibeah, — 16 18, 21 

plays before Saul, and " 22 

returns to feed his father's sheep at Beth- 
lehem. 17 15 
The Philistines war against Judah, *' 1 

in the valley of Elah. " 2 

David goes from Bethlehem to Elah— " 20 

kills Goliath, and " 49 



APPEI^DIX. 271 

1 Samuel, ch. ver. 

is intfoduced to Saul, bearing his head. 17 57 
David goes to Gibeah by way of Jerusalem, 

carrying the head of Goliath, 17 54 

amid the songs of the women, 18 6 

by which Saul's envy is so excited, " 9 

that he attempts to kill him. " 11 
He goes against the Philistines and returns to 

Gibeah. " 27 

Saul seeks to kill David, 19 10 

but he escapes to Samuel, at Ramah. " 18 

Saul follows him, " 22 

but David returns to Gibeah — 20 1 

David plans with Jonathan — " 1 — 17 

goes to Bethlehem — remains three days — " 35 

returns — has an interview with Jonathan, " 41 

and then goes to Nob. 21 1 

From Nob, David goes to Gath — " 10 

from Gath to Adullam— 22 35 

from Adullam to Mizpeh of Moab, " 3 

and from Mizpeh, returns to the forests of 

Hareth. " 5 

David fights against the Philistines at Keilah, 23 3 

from Keilah j^oes to the Wilderness of Ziph — ' 14 

into the hill of Hachilah— " 19 

hence, to the plains of Maon, " 24 

and then to Engedi. *• 29 
After the death of Samuel^ David goes to 

Paran — 25 1 

dwells in the tents of Kedar, Ps. 120 5 

then comes to the wilderness of Ziph. 1 Sam. 26 3 

David returns to Gath— 27 2 

dwells in Ziklag, "6 



272 



APPENDIX. 



1 Samuel, ch. 
and goes against the Gesherites, Gezerites 
and Amalekites. 
David goes with Achish, to Shunem, 
and returns to Ziklag — 
pursues Amalek to Besor — 
crosses Besor — 
returns to Besor, 
and to Ziklag. 
After the death of Saul, 2 Samuel, 

David goes to Hebron, 

where he reigns seven years and six months, 
then removes to Jerusalem. 
He goes against the Philistines at Baal-pera- 
zim, 
also in the valley of Rephaim, from Geba 
to Gaza. 
Goes to Gibeon to fetch the Ark, 
goes against the Philistines, 
" " Moab, 

" " Hadadezer, 

" " Ammon at Medeba, 

" " the Syrians at Helam. 

Escape from Absalom. 
David goes over Cedron and up mount Oli- 
vet — 
" comes to Bahurim — 
crosses Jordan, 
and comes to Mahanaim. 
After the death of Absalom, here passes Jor- 
dan, 
comes to Gil gal, 
and then to Jerusalem. 



ver* 



27 


8 


28 


4 


30 


1 


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9 


4( 


10 


t( 


21 


30 


26 


, 1 


1 


2 


3 


5 


5 


« 


6 



20 



" 


25 


6 


4 


8 


1 


« 


2 


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3 


10 


8 


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17 


15 


22 


16 


5 


17 


22,23 


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19 


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« 


40 


20 


3 



ATABLE, 

Showing the time -when the Psalms of David -were 
-writtetiy and the occasions 071 which they were pro- 
bably composed s chiejly from Townsend^s Bible, 



Psalms. OCCASIONS. Before Christ 

2 On the delivery of the promise by Nathan 

to David. 1044. 

3 When David fled from Absalom. 1023. 

4 do. do. do. 

5 do. do. . do. 
7 When reproached by Shimei. 1023. 
9 On the victory over Goliath. 1063. 

11 When David was advised to flee to the 

mountains. 1062. 

16 After the promise by Nathan to David. 1044. 

17 On the murder of the priests by Doeg. 1060. 

18 Close of David's last war with the Philis- 

tines. 1019. 

20 After the war with the Ammonites and 

Syrians. 1036. 

21 do. do. do. 

22 After the promise by Nathan to David. 1044. 
28 Unknown, probably at the removal of the 

Ark. unknown 

30 On dedicating the threshing floor of Arau- 

nah. lOir 

273 



274 APPENDIX. 

Psalms. OCCASIONS. Before Christ. 

31 On David's retreat from Keilah. 1060. 

32 On the pardon of David's sin in the matter 

of Uriah. 1034. 

33 do. do. do. 

34 On leaving Gath. 1060. 

35 On David's persecution by Doeg. 1060. 

42 On David's flight from Absalom. * 1023. 

43 do. do. do. 
45 After the promise by Nathan to David. 1044 

51 David's confession of his sin. 1034. 

52 When persecuted by Doeg. 1060. 

54 When betrayed by the Ziphites. 1059. 

55 During the flight from Absalom. 1023. 

56 At Gath. 1060. 

57 When he fled from Saul in the cave. 1058. 

58 do. do. do. 

59 When Michal let him down from a win- 

dov^. 1061. 

60 When Edom was conquered by Joab- 1040. 
62 When persecuted by Absalom. 1023. 
03 In the wilderness of Judah. 1058. 
64 When persecuted by Saul. 1060. 
68 On the first removal of the Ark. 1045. 
70 During Absalom's rebellion. 1023. 
91 Addressed to Solomon. 1015. 
96 Removal of the Ark. 1045. 

103 On the pardon of David's sin. 1034. 

105 Removal of the Ark. 1045. 

106 do. do. do. 

108 On the conquest of Edom. 1040. 

109 David persecuted by Doeg. 1060. 

110 On the promise by Nathan to David. 1044 
118 do. do. * do. 



APPENDIX. 275 

Psalms. OCCASIONS. Before Christ. 

132 Second removal of the Ark. .1045. 

133 Unknown, or perhaps at the first festival, 

after David was made king over all 

Israel. unknown. 

139 When David was made king over all Is- 

rael. 1048. 

140 David's prayer for deliverance from Saul 

and Doeg. 1060. 

141 David's second flight to Gath. 1055. 

142 David's flight to the cave of Adullam. 1060. 

143 During the revolt of Absalom. 1023. 

144 Victory over Absalom. 1023. 

145 Towards the close of David's life. 1015. 



THE END. 



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